On Wednesday April 16, news agencies reported from Shanghai, the five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany and the EU, finished Wednesday discussions for negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. An official said that the full agreement hasn’t been reached yet. But the envoys agreed to continue to work on a joint proposal aimed at bringing Tehran back to the negotiation table and in line with UN resolutions.

“We discussed how to conduct dialogue and negotiations with Iran… we have agreed on most points in the proposal, however there are some outstanding issues that remain to be resolved,” China’s assistant foreign minister He Yafei said, French news agency reported.
AFP added, Western governments have warned Tehran that it faces further sanctions if it continues to expand its nuclear programme, which they fear is a cover for a drive to develop an atomic weapon.

“The Iranian government continues to be in violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions and with each step it takes it continues to isolate its people and risk further international financial and diplomatic sanctions,” White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner issued a similar warning, saying the international community must consider “reinforced” sanctions if Iran does not respond to concerns about its nuclear work.

Charles Krauthammer, an influential conservative columnist for the Washington Post, wrote last week that the Bush administration’s attempt to halt Iran’s nuclear programme through sanctions had failed “utterly”, adding: “We shall have to rely on deterrence” against a nuclear Iran.