Britain and Germany called for sanctions to financially isolate Iran as EU foreign ministers gathered to consider tough new measures against Tehran due to fresh concerns over its nuclear program. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia deplored the storming of the British Embassy in Tehran, which is considered incompatible with the norms of human ethics, and international laws, including the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. This came in a statement read in Riyadh late Wednesday night by a spokesman of the Foreign Ministry. British Foreign Secretary William Hague thanked European Union countries for their “emphatic support” following the storming of Britain's embassy in Iran, and said, “I hope we will agree today additional measures that will be an intensification of the economic pressure on Iran, peaceful legitimate economic pressure particularly to increase the isolation of the Iranian financial sector.” German counterpart Guido Westerwelle said the aim of sanctions “is to dry up Iran's financial sources.” Pressed into action following the publication of a new report on Iran's contested nuclear activity, the ministers are expected to slap an assets freeze and travel ban on a further 143 Iranian companies and 37 people. Britain, France, Germany and Sweden favor oil sanctions, but with Spain, Greece and Italy significantly dependent on oil from Iran “there will be no oil sanctions” announced Thursday.
