US, Israel call for new Iran sanctions

The US and Israel urge the UN Security Council to quickly prepare new Iran sanctions, despite nuclear negotiations being in process.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, a contender to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, told CNN on Sunday that any hesitation to adopt new anti-Iran UNSC sanctions would signal the West's 'weakness'.

As a sign of commitment to diplomacy, Washington took part in a July 19 meeting between Iran and the five permanent members of the UNSC plus Germany to discuss a Western package of incentives.

The US presence at the talks, advertised by various US officials as a 'U-turn' policy toward Tehran, sparked an outcry in Israel. Washington's commitment to negotiations, however, was a 'one-time' offer and was limited to 'listening' rather than 'contributing'.

After the Geneva meeting, the Bush administration set a two-week deadline for to response to the 'freeze or freeze' proposal under which Iran would have to freeze the expansion of its enrichment program for six weeks and the US would, in return, freeze lobbying for more anti-Iran sanctions.