Russia considers Iran sanctions

Amid a US-led drive to vie support for slapping tougher UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, Russia says it may vote for more punitive measures.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Moscow could support further nuclear sanctions with the UN Security Council “if all other means have been exhausted.”

“As of yet, Iran is not demonstrating the required restraint and is behaving quite irresponsibly. This, of course, is a sad fact,” he said in an interview with Danish television released on Monday ahead of his Tuesday visit to Denmark.

“Therefore, if this situation continues, we cannot rule anything out, including sanctions,” he added.

The president expressed his country’s reluctance to support sanctions, saying, “Of course, sanctions are a bad thing because they rarely produce results. But when all other means have been exhausted, why not?”

The United States, Britain and France are calling on member states of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to increase pressure on Tehran through tough new sanctions over its enrichment program.

However, the measure requires the affirmative vote of at least nine members, especially that of veto-wielding permanent members: the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.

Out of the five, Russia and China are least likely to comment on their position.

Russia has never supported the allegations leveled against Iran by the West, but calls on the Islamic Republic to build trust with the international community.