U.S. Officials Look at New Iran Sanctions

The United States and its European allies are looking at new financial restrictions to pressure Iran into negotiating over its nuclear program.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Bush administration is considering imposing economic sanctions on Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful military police force that is seen as outlasting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

U.S. and European officials said that Iran appears to be ramping up its nuclear program to build weapons. Officials in Tehran deny that, saying they are making fuel for nuclear power plants.

Iran recently let pass a U.N. Security Council deadline for halting its uranium-enrichment program or face stricter economic sanctions. But The Wall Street Journal said that some members on the U.N. Security Council, especially Russia, will be reluctant to apply those sanctions.

Russia will control the pace of things going forward, a U.S. official told the Journal.