AFP , June 2, 2008 (excerpts) – Republican White House candidate John McCain Monday called for tough new sanctions on Iran if it fails to halt its nuclear program, advocating a bid to starve the US foe of gasoline.

McCain’s warning came hours after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad fired off his latest fiery rhetoric, saying he was convinced Israel would soon disappear.

The Arizona senator, speaking to the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual policy conference, said Iran’s “continued pursuit of nuclear weapons poses an unacceptable risk, a danger we cannot allow.”

“Rather than sitting down unconditionally with the Iranian president or supreme leader in the hope we can talk some sense into them, we must create the real-world pressures that will peacefully, effectively change the path they are on.”

McCain called for a new regime of international sanctions against Iran, over and above current United Nations and unilateral measures.

Iran would face curbs on its capacity to import refined gasoline, sanctions on the Bank of Iran and worldwide visa bans and asset freezes which McCain said would cause a rethink by Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei and Ahmadinejad.

“A severe limit on Iranian imports of gasoline would create immediate pressure on Khamenei and Ahmadinejad to change course and to cease in the pursuit of nuclear weapons,” McCain said.

“The idea that they now seek nuclear weapons because we refuse to engage in presidential-level talks is a serious misreading of history,” McCain said.

Earlier, Ahmadinejad launched a new attack against Israel and its US ally.
“I must announce that the Zionist regime (Israel), with a 60-year record of genocide, plunder, invasion and betrayal is about to die and will soon be erased from the geographical scene,” Ahmadinejad said.