US pushes for global sanctions on Iran

The newspaper said the plan would target every Iranian official the Bush administration sees as linked to nuclear enrichment as well as terrorism, government corruption, suppression of religious or democratic freedom and violence in Iraq, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

It would restrict the Tehran government's access to foreign currency and global markets, shut its overseas accounts and freeze assets held in Europe and Asia, the newspaper reported, citing internal government memos and interviews with three US officials.

The plan was developed by a Treasury Department task force that reports directly to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Washington Post said.

Consideration of global economic sanctions follows decades of unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States against Iran.

The United Nations is demanding that Iran halt enrichment activities that the West says are a cover for developing weapons. Iran says it only wants to make fuel for nuclear power.

Internal US assessments suggest sanctions would not impact Iran without hurting some US allies, the Washington Post said.