Iranian foreign minister visits Security Council member Bosnia as US pushes for sanctions

Iranian foreign minister visits Bosnia

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Iran’s foreign minister held talks with Bosnian leaders Monday as part of a campaign to avert another round of U.N. sanctions.

After making little progress in Austria over the weekend, Manouchehr Mottaki was trying to attempt to convince another non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council not to support sanctions.

Bosnia’s Security Council vote is decided by a tri-member presidency composed of a Muslim Bosnian, or Bosniak, a Christian Orthodox Serb and a Catholic Croat.

Bosnian Muslims feel grateful toward both the U.S. and Iran for helping them during Bosnia’s 1992-5 war.

Former EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, meanwhile, expects new U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran. Solana said sanctions “probably will be activated” unless Iran shifts its position.

The Spaniard told The Associated Press in Geneva on Monday that the Islamic republic seemed unwilling to meet demands to halt uranium enrichment that could be used to make an atomic bomb. Iran insists the program is peaceful.

Solana was involved in years of EU-led negotiations with Iran.