WASHINGTON — With the president of France at his side, President Barack Obama declared Tuesday that he hopes to have international sanctions against Iran in place “within weeks,” not months, because of its continuing nuclear program. But he acknowledged he still lacks full support at the United Nations.
“Do we have unanimity in the international community? Not yet,” Obama said. “And that’s something that we have to work on.” Obama said he and French President Nicolas Sarkozy are “inseparable” in their thinking on the subject.
Sarkozy told reporters, “Iran cannot continue its mad race” toward acquiring nuclear weapons. “The time has come to take decisions,” he said.
Earlier Tuesday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton predicted new sanctions would be forthcoming, hinting that skeptical nations such as China and Russia would eventually come along.
Obama and Sarkozy met privately in the Oval Office and later planned dinner at the White House with their wives, Michelle Obama and French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
