Agence France Presse cited Sarkozy addressing French ambassadors from 180 countries and describing Iran’s nuclear programme as “undoubtedly the most serious crisis before us today.” Sarkozy said UN Security Council member France was determined to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb and described a nuclear-armed Iran as “unacceptable.”
The threat of sanctions coupled with an offer of dialogue was the only way of avoiding a “catastrophic alternative: an Iranian bomb or the bombing of Iran,” he said.

The statement stood in contrast with his predecessor Jacques Chirac who in February said in an interview that a nuclear-armed Iran may be inevitable, sparking consternation in Western capitals which had maintained a tough line with Tehran.