French Prime Minister Francois Fillon urged Iran on Friday to resume talks with world powers on its nuclear program to avoid new sanctions.
Fillon, speaking during a visit to Tunisia, welcomed new American willingness to negotiate with Iran.
European officials are working to set up the first international discussions on Iran's nuclear program since President Barack Obama took office in January. Iran's foreign minister said Thursday his country was preparing a set of new proposals aimed at restarting the talks.
Fillon said he was "very worried" about Iran's nuclear policies.
"We favor new sanctions against Iran if it perseveres with a goal of obtaining nuclear weapons," Fillon said. He urged Iran to join new talks "without waiting."
The U.S. and other Western powers suspect Iran is seeking nuclear weapons. Tehran says its uranium enrichment program is aimed solely at producing nuclear energy, and has repeatedly defied U.N. demands to suspend enrichment. The U.N. Security Council has imposed three rounds of sanctions.
European capitals, keen to keep the standoff from sparking a new war, have long pushed for more negotiations. This position "is now joined by the American administration," Fillon said.
The Obama administration has been trying a different approach toward Tehran than the Bush administration by offering to engage in dialogue with the Iranians.
Fillon dismissed concerns that fallout over anti-Semitic comments by Iran's president in Geneva this week would damage the international effort over Iran's nuclear program. The U.S. boycotted the U.N. racism conference where President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke and European diplomats walked out during his speech.
