President Nicolas Sarkozy said France is prepared to impose more sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program if the United Nations Security Council doesn’t apply more pressure on Tehran to pull the plug on its controversial uranium enrichment program.

“In order to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon, we must strengthen sanctions,” Sarkozy was quoted as saying by the International Herald Tribune on Monday.

The French leader said the Security Council must dictate new sanctions, otherwise European countries should adopt a hard-line stance against the Iranian nuclear program.

“For the European community itself to apply sanctions, that is not unilateralism, that is an international, a multilateral decision. Therefore, it is fine by me,” Sarkozy said.

Sarkozy outlined the importance of a peaceful solution to this dispute and reiterated that he doesn’t support a potential attack on Iran, like his foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, said on September 16.

“For my part, I don't use the word ‘war’… France's position, it's that: no nuclear weapon for Iran, an arsenal of sanctions to convince them, negotiations, discussions, firmness,” the French president said, adding,  “I don't want to hear anything else that would not contribute usefully to the discussion today.”

The former minister of the interior also ruled out a visit to Tehran, saying the crisis can be discussed during UN meetings.

“I don't think that the conditions for a trip to Tehran are present right now … We can talk things over in the halls of the United Nations. A trip to Tehran is something else,” he said.

Sarkozy is expected to attend the meetings of the UN General Assembly in New York for the first time and discuss a wide range of issues with other world leaders, including Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.