WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Obama administration reportedly plans to introduce tougher Iran sanctions if its outreach does not bear fruit by September.
The New York Times on Sunday quoted European diplomats as saying that they were discussing stopping the export of refined petroleum to the Islamic Republic with their U.S. counterparts.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s spokesman confirmed that she had discussed Iran in a videoconference that she held Monday with her counterparts among leading industrialized nations.
Philip Crowley would not discuss particulars, but the Clinton spokesman said that "There are sanctions that are in place, and we continue to work hard to enforce the sanctions against Iran based on our concerns about Iran’s behavior and the unanswered questions about its nuclear aspirations."
Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesman, reaffirmed that the president would again assess his outreach policy by September, when major leaders will meet at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
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