In an interview with AFP on the issue of Iran’s nuclear programme , UN chief Ban Ki-moon, on April 10 in Vienna, hinted that sanctions might be in order to force the Islamic republic to halt uranium enrichment, which the West suspects could be used to make an atomic bomb.

’Iran should fully comply with the relevant (UN) Security Council resolutions. There are five resolutions already adopted by the Security Council, among which three are sanction measures,’ he said.
Ban stopped short of making an open call for sanctions however, noting that this was a matter to be decided by the members of the Security Council.

’I am just closely monitoring the situation and I’m doing what I should as a secretary-general, urging Iranian authorities to fully comply’ with Security Council and other treaty obligations such as the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Tehran’s lack of response to these calls however was ’a source of great concern at this time.’
Sanctions were looking more likely after China agreed Thursday to join five other major powers for more talks on a fourth set of UN sanctions against Iran, rowing back on its previous opposition.

Ban, a former Korean ambassador to Vienna, was in the Austrian capital for a three-day visit, during which he met with government members, UN officials and the security body OSCE.