Sanctions against Iran more effective than expected: Gates

The recent sanctions slapped on Iran by the United States and its allies over Tehran's controversial nuclear programme are more effective and severe, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said.

Sanctions on Iran were one of the key issues of discussion during his meeting with the visiting French Defence Minister Herve Morin at the Pentagon on Thursday.

"We did talk about it (sanction on Iran)," Gates told reporters at a joint news conference. "I think that certainly our view is that the sanctions , first of all, the UN Security Council resolution provided a legal platform for individual countries to then take even more severe actions against the Iranian regime. We have seen them do that in the time since the resolution was passed," he said.

"Our discussion today was really about the fact that the sanctions have ended up being more effective and more severe than perhaps we might have expected before the UN resolution was passed," Gates said as he appreciated the strong leadership of France both in the UN and in the EU in terms of trying to get more countries to adopt sanctions.

"Our analysis is that these sanctions that were adopted, beyond the resolutions by of the United Nations by European Union, (South) Korea, Japan and other countries have committed themselves to stronger and heavier sanctions," the French Defence Minister said.

"All this bears fruit, and you will see that today debate is starting to exist within the leading Iranian political groups. When I met the members of Congress this morning and during my encounter with (Gates) during lunch, all of us are convinced of one thing. We have to display absolute determination, a total will that will not fail. And we should show absolutely no weakness in our resolutions," Morin said.

"The Iranians had months and months to change their behavior. It was the case for the policy of extended hand by President Obama. They didn't grab that extended hand. So these economic sanctions paved the way as much as possible so that it would bring Iran to be more responsible," he said.

... contd.

ALSO READ

Facebook can make 'moving on' difficult after break-up

Prince Harry mania sweeps Washington!

Earth-like planets discovered in atmospheres of dead stars

India a source of immense frustration for American parents: US lawmaker