Major powers push for new Iran sanctions

By Sue Pleming

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Western powers on Monday pushed for new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program as Tehran voiced defiance about any new punitive measures, saying high oil prices would cushion the blow.

Senior diplomats from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- China, Russia, the United States, France and Britain -- and Germany, met in Washington to discuss strategy over Iran and give momentum to a sanctions resolution still being haggled over at the United Nations.

"We continue to expect a vote soon on the draft sanctions resolution currently being discussed in New York," said State Department spokesman Tom Casey after the meeting.

He provided few details of what was discussed, but Russia and China were expected to argue for more "carrots" rather than "sticks" to persuade Iran to give up its sensitive nuclear work.

"They also reaffirmed their commitment to the dual track approach for responding to the challenge posed by Iran's nuclear program," added Casey.

The United States, Britain and France are pushing for a U.N. Security Council vote this week because they fear Iran seeks an atomic bomb.

But some nonpermanent Security Council members like Libya are unlikely to support the move, meaning the United States might not get the unanimous U.N. vote it had hoped for.

"Really we cannot be supportive of further sanctions," Libya's ambassador to the United Nations, Giadalla Ettalhi, told reporters as he went into a Security Council meeting on unrelated issues in New York.