April will be a "decisive phase" in international efforts to agree on new sanctions against Iran for its nuclear programme, a German government official said on Monday. The official was speaking ahead of a visit to the United States by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who will attend an April 12-13 summit on nuclear security in Washington hosted by US President Barack Obama.
"April will be a decisive phase in efforts to reach agreement in the United Nations Security Council on new Iran sanctions," the official said, speaking under condition of anonymity in Berlin. The United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany have been trying to reach agreement over whether to launch a fourth round of sanctions against Iran.
Russia and China have been reluctant to adopt tougher measures, but Moscow has lately toughened its line. The United States and Germany held a common position on Iran, the official said. This meant pursuing talks but also opting for sanctions if Tehran would not cooperate, he added. The fact that both Russia and China's presidents would be in Washington would enable talks to be held towards reaching a joint position, the official said.
Iran would also be on the agenda when Merkel met Obama for bilateral discussions on Tuesday evening, the official added. Western powers suspect Iran aims to develop nuclear weapons, but Tehran says its enrichment of uranium is meant for the peaceful generation of power.