S Korea to soon start talks on sanctions against Iran: media

South Korea will soon get into talks with the United States and Iran on possible sanctions against Iran, local media reported Friday citing an unnamed high-ranking government source.

Washington has been pressing Seoul, its major Asian ally, to join the drive to further punish Iran for its contended nuclear program suspected as a cover for developing nuclear weapons. Washington's nonproliferation envoy recently traveled to South Korea to press the issue.

Seoul has not decided whether to put additional, independent sanction on the Middle Eastern country, as requested by Washington, the unnamed official told Yonhap News Agency.

South Korea conducted an audit of the Seoul branch of Bank Mellat, an Iranian bank, which has been blacklisted by the U.S. for its alleged illegal transactions. Local media had speculated the bank might be shut down, but authorities here, faced with Iran' s warnings of their own countermeasures, have not decided on it.

Source: Xinhua