Netherlands would back European sanctions on Iran

PARIS (AFP) — The Netherlands would support European Union sanctions over Iran’s nuclear programme if the UN Security Council fails to agree on new measures, Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said Monday.

"The first effort should be to convince the Security Council to apply more sanctions," he said after talks with his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner in Paris.

"But when the Security Council doesn’t agree, I am prepared, I am willing, to apply European Union sanctions in combination with the United States sanctions."