French President Nicolas Sarkozy directly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear bomb and threw his weight behind "stronger sanctions" which are to be discussed Friday by the major powers.Sarkozy said that France does not want a war with Iran but charged in a prime time television interview on Thursday that "Iran is trying to obtain an atomic bomb." "That is unacceptable and I tell the French people it is unacceptable."US President George W Bush also said he hoped the Islamic Republic would bow to mounting global pressure and warned he was "not going to tolerate" a nuclear-armed Iran, which denies it is trying to develop an atomic weapon.Tensions have been heightened this week by comments by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner who warned that a war with Iran was possible.Sarkozy distanced himself from Kouchner's statement and put the emphasis on the need for diplomatic punishment of Iran."How do we convince (Iran) to renounce this project? Just as the international community convinced North Korea and Libya to renounce theirs. Through discussion, through dialogue, through sanctions," Sarkozy said."If sanctions are not enough, I want stronger sanctions," Sarkozy said, while repeating that Iran had a right to civilian nuclear technology.The Iranian nuclear question, "is an extremely difficult affair, but France does not want a war," Sarkozy said, referring to Kouchner's earlier comments.
