By — Larisa Epatko Larisa Epatko Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/british-foreign-secretary Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Britain’s Foreign Secretary: ‘Further Sanctions’ on Iran to Come World Dec 12, 2011 5:31 PM EDT In an interview with Jeffrey Brown — airing in full on Monday’s NewsHour — British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK will issue further sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, and that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should step down because of the government’s bloody crackdown on protesters. Use of sanctions on Iran “is a way of intensifying peaceful pressure — peaceful, legitimate pressure on a regime which has serious questions to answer about its nuclear program, questions that it doesn’t answer adequately at the moment,” said Hague. “We don’t want to see military conflict in Iran, nor do we want to see nuclear proliferation. So what we have to try is the offer of negotiation, but at the same time intensify the pressure.” As for imposing sanctions on Syria, such action is meeting resistance from China and Russia, he said. “I hope that if this situation, this appalling situation continues to deteriorate, then Russia and China will reconsider their attitude.” Hague said he thought Syria’s al-Assad should leave so the country can get a fresh start. “I think too much blood has been spilled there now for that regime to recover its credibility not only in the eyes of the world but in the eyes of its own people. And so the best possible future for Syria is, of course, a free and democratic future, but it is one without the regime that has now governed them for too long.” Watch the full interview on Monday’s NewsHour. View all of our World coverage and follow us on Twitter. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Larisa Epatko Larisa Epatko Larisa Epatko produced multimedia web features and broadcast reports with a focus on foreign affairs for the PBS NewsHour. She has reported in places such as Jordan, Pakistan, Iraq, Haiti, Sudan, Western Sahara, Guantanamo Bay, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Turkey, Germany and Ireland. @NewsHourWorld
In an interview with Jeffrey Brown — airing in full on Monday’s NewsHour — British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK will issue further sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, and that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should step down because of the government’s bloody crackdown on protesters. Use of sanctions on Iran “is a way of intensifying peaceful pressure — peaceful, legitimate pressure on a regime which has serious questions to answer about its nuclear program, questions that it doesn’t answer adequately at the moment,” said Hague. “We don’t want to see military conflict in Iran, nor do we want to see nuclear proliferation. So what we have to try is the offer of negotiation, but at the same time intensify the pressure.” As for imposing sanctions on Syria, such action is meeting resistance from China and Russia, he said. “I hope that if this situation, this appalling situation continues to deteriorate, then Russia and China will reconsider their attitude.” Hague said he thought Syria’s al-Assad should leave so the country can get a fresh start. “I think too much blood has been spilled there now for that regime to recover its credibility not only in the eyes of the world but in the eyes of its own people. And so the best possible future for Syria is, of course, a free and democratic future, but it is one without the regime that has now governed them for too long.” Watch the full interview on Monday’s NewsHour. View all of our World coverage and follow us on Twitter. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now