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France Would Welcome Sanctions Against Iran
- Many adults in France believe the United Nations (UN) should intervene in the argument over Iran's nuclear program, according to a poll by TNS-Sofres. 79 per cent of respondents are in favour of sanctions against Iran.
After being branded as part of an "axis of evil" by United States president George W. Bush in January 2002, Iran has contended that its nuclear program aims to produce energy, not weapons. In June 2005, former Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won Iran's presidential election in a run-off over Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani with 61.6 per cent of all cast ballots.
In May, European Union (EU) foreign policy representative Javier Solana presented a package of incentives designed by Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the U.S. to achieve negotiations with Iran on the reach of its nuclear program. The most contentious topic of the proposal calls for Iran to temporarily halt its uranium enrichment activities.
In July, the five permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council agreed on a resolution which calls for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment before the end of August, or face the threat of sanctions. Iran ignored the deadline.
On Nov. 13, French prime minister Dominique de Villepin urged for quick action at the UN, saying, "Our sole purpose is to make Iran fulfil international obligations. It is inadmissible for Iran to possess nuclear weapons."
Polling Data
Are you in favour or not in favour of the United Nations (UN) taking sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program?
In favour | 79% |
Not in favour | 12% |
Not sure | 9% |
Source: TNS-Sofres
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,000 French adults, conducted on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9, 2006. No margin of error was provided.