U.S. call on Turkey and other states to "sacrifice" their business ties with Iran

PanARMENIAN.Net - The United States called on Turkey and other countries on Wednesday to "sacrifice" their business ties with Iran to help prevent Tehran from possibly obtaining nuclear weapons.



Iran has defied diplomatic pressure led by the United States and European allies to halt uranium enrichment. Major powers are due to meet in Washington on Friday to discuss a third UN Security Council resolution to toughen sanctions on Tehran.



"The issue of Iran becoming possibly a nuclear weapons power is so important that each country has to make sacrifices," U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told reporters in Ankara.



Washington is concerned by NATO ally Turkey's announcement that it planned to boost energy cooperation with Iran and invest $3.5 billion in its South Pars gas field starting next year.



"We do not think it makes sense to announce long-term oil and gas deals at a time when Iran is going ahead with nuclear weapons research," Burns said.



"Business as usual is not the right policy because business as usual allows Iran to escape pressure we think is needed to convince Iran to come to the negotiating table," he said.



"We are not singling out Turkey for criticism or attention. This is a general U.S. and West European message to many other countries," he said - also mentioning Japan, South Korea and India -- before talks with senior Turkish officials expected to focus mainly on Iran.



He said U.S. businesses had made sacrifices by not doing business with Iran and other countries should follow suit, Reuters reports.