Sanctions against Iran?

"As long as Iran fails to fulfil demands by the international community to suspend uranium enrichment, pressure must be maintained," Deputy Foreign Minister Gernot Erler said in an exclusive interview in Berlin with German Press agency DPA.

"We are prepared, with our partners, to discuss and decide on further sanctions," Erler said.

German officials are due to meet with leaders from France, Britain, the United States, China and Russia -- who are the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- in Washington on Friday, Sept. 21 to discuss a new Council resolution on Iran. Further talks are scheduled at UN headquarters in New York next week.

Third sanction on Iran possible

Refering to weekend comments by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, who said the international community must prepare for the worst in the conflict with Iran, which could also include war, Erler said he was glad Kouchner later qualified that statement.

Visiting Moscow on Tuesday, Kouchner refuted that he was a "warmonger," stressing that "everything must be done to avoid war." The Kremlin has also expressed concern about possible war plans against Iran.

Erler told DPA: "We are happy that he made it clear that France would not veer away from the common ground with its partners the United States, China and Russia."

Should the UN Security Council pass a new resolution sanctioning Iran, it would be the third following those in December and March.

"No greater crisis today" than Iran

Members of the international community fear that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear arms, but Teheran has repeatedly denied the accusation, saying its uranium enrichment program is merely for the civil purposes of producing energy.

On the weekend, Kouchner said there was "no greater crisis today" than the conflict with Teheran over its nuclear program. The French foreign minister also called on the European Union to impose additional economic sanctions on Iran beyond those imposed by the UN.