The United States, Britain and France turned up the pressure on Tehran on Thursday ahead of next weekÂ’s release of a keenly awaited UN report that may offer new details about the military side of IranÂ’s nuclear program.The report by the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to unveil detailed intelligence pointing to military dimensions of IranÂ’s nuclear program, while stopping short of saying explicitly that Tehran is trying to build such weapons.
“One (issue) in particular that I want to mention is the continuing threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program,” US President Barack Obama told reporters ahead of a G20 heads of state summit in the French resort of Cannes.
“The IAEA is scheduled to release a report on Iran’s nuclear program next week and (French) President (Nicolas) Sarkozy and I agree on the need to maintain the unprecedented pressure on Iran to meet its obligations,” Obama said.
The United States, European Union and their allies around the world have imposed economic sanctions on Tehran for refusing to halt its uranium enrichment program, which Western powers believe is at the heart of an Iran atom bomb program.
The United States and Israel have repeatedly hinted at the possible use of force against Iranian nuclear sites, eliciting threats of fierce retaliation from the Islamic Republic.
The UN Security Council, with the backing of IranÂ’s traditional sympathizers Russia and China, has imposed four rounds of increasingly tough sanctions on Tehran since 2006.