British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Monday that tougher sanctions are likely against Iran over its nuclear program and declined to reject the prospect of future military action.
Brown, holding his first Downing Street press conference, stated he believed sanctions aimed at persuading Iran to halt uranium enrichment were working, but predicted a swift new U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at increasing pressure on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
"I'm not one who is going forward to say we rule out any particular form of action," Brown said, asked if he would rule out options for future military action against Iran.
"But I firmly believe that the sanctions we are imposing on Iran are sanctions that are having an effect already," he said. "There will probably be a further resolution in relation to Iran soon, and I believe that is a way forward that is working and will work."
"Again, I appeal to the Iranian authorities to understand the fears that other countries have about the development of the nuclear weapons program," Brown told reporters.
He said Britain would "take whatever measures are necessary to strengthen the sanctions regime in the future."
