Iran shouldn't face more sanctions

Raising tensions in the Gulf region will not help to bring about stability and peace. As a matter of fact, this will only increase the possibility of confrontation and clashes. Hence the best way to deal with Iran is through dialogue involving all the concerned parties.

Once again further sanctions against Iran have been put on the agenda. Possible measures to be followed would include the expansion of travel bans as well as freezing assets of individuals connected with the nuclear industry. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has accused China of short-sightedness in its position on the issue, because the latter has voiced its objection to any new sanctions. China says any new sanctions would only complicate matters further.

With a clear division of opinion in the international community, it is obvious that dialogue should decide how Iran is to be dealt with.

There is no question that Iran needs to be transparent about the progress and intentions of its nuclear programme. Yet there is no justification whatsoever for further sanctions to be imposed, as they will only make the situation in the Gulf more confrontational. This would be counterproductive.