Zionist Britain urges Gulf to pressure Iran in nuclear standoff

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband will urge Gulf Arab states on Monday to step up pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme by imposing financial restrictions and tightening export controls.

In a speech in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Miliband will say that the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran poses the most immediate threat to Middle East stability.

He will say Britain is keen to work with Gulf countries on dealing with the Iranian nuclear question, according to an advance text of his speech.

"You offer serious incentives for economic cooperation -- in terms of closer economic ties or preferential trade arrangements -- if Iran plays by the rules," Miliband will tell an event hosted by the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research, a think tank.

"And you could pursue further restrictive measures, partly financial but also for instance clamping down on smuggling or tightening up export controls on goods which could support the development of nuclear weapons," he will say.

The United Nations Security Council has imposed three rounds of sanctions on Iran because of its refusal to halt uranium enrichment, which the West fears is aimed at making a nuclear bomb. Tehran says it is pursuing only civilian nuclear power.

Miliband will say that Arab leaders, journalists or academics he spoke to often raised concerns about Iranian influence and activities.

"There is much that the Arab countries could do to counter Tehran's claims that their quest for greater influence and their nuclear programme enjoys tacit support throughout the region," he will say. Reuters