The EU could “intensify” sanctions on Iran if negotiations with the country don’t deliver, William Hague today told reporters as he arrived for talks for with EU peers in Luxembourg this morning. The Foreign Secretary said: “We will intensify the sanctions over the coming months if there is no progress,” reported AFP.

The Foreign Office could not confirm whether this would include stepping up oil sanctions against the country, which are due to come into effect on 1 July.  A spokesperson told ELN: “At the moment we’re not going into specifics, it’s what we might want to consider… But we’re clear these sanctions are the toughest yet on Iran.”

Western nations including the USA and the EU are imposing sanctions including the oil ban on Iran to persuade it to drop its nuclear programme. They are concerned it is developing nuclear weapons, an allegation the country denies.