Sarkozy to Iran: Respond to overtures

L'AQUILA, Italy, July 9 (UPI) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Thursday Iran has until the Group of 20 Pittsburgh summit in September to respond to U.S. diplomatic overtures.

Speaking at the Group of Eight summit in Italy, Sarkozy said if Iran doesn't respond by the G20 Pittsburgh summit, then the international community will be forced to consider other courses of action, The Hill reported.

The overtures have been an integral part of U.S. President Barack Obama's foreign policy, the report said. Less than two months ago, Obama said in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu he wanted to see progress in the Iran nuclear negotiations after the June Iranian elections but before the end of the year.

Those elections -- in which the government said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was overwhelmingly re-election -- were followed by charges of fraud and a violent government response to protests. Ahmadinejad accused the West of interfering with Iran's interior policies.

Fresh protests broke out in Iran Thursday.

But the G8 has continued to reach out to Iran for negotiations, The Hill reported, and Sarkozy said: "We want to give negotiation every chance. If that works, then great. If that leads nowhere, then that won't be without consequences."

He did not say what those consequences would be.