WASHINGTON — President Obama predicted on Tuesday that he would be able to persuade the United Nations to “move forcefully” against Iran with new sanctions within weeks, not months, as he turned up the pressure on Tehran to back off its nuclear program.
“We think that we can get sanctions within weeks,” Mr. Obama told reporters after meeting at the White House with President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, who has been pressing for an aggressive approach to Iran.
But Mr. Obama acknowledged that there was still no consensus among the members of the Security Council. “Now, do we have unanimity in the international community?” he asked rhetorically. “Not yet. And that’s something we have to work on.”
Mr. Obama’s remarks came hours after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met in Canada with foreign ministers from the Group of 8, who issued a statement casting doubt on Iran’s claims that it is seeking a peaceful energy source rather than nuclear arms. “We see a growing awareness on the part of many countries, including China, as to the consequences of a nuclear-armed Iran to regional and global stability,” Mrs. Clinton said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/world/middleeast/31prexy.html