Gwalior:  India yesterday (Dec 26,2006) said enforcing sanctions on Iran was not the solution to the problem of that country's nuclear programme.

Such an issue should be settled through dialogue in the UN Security Council and sanctions can only be justified if the nuclear programme causes ill effects, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters here.

Iran is a friendly country and over 40 lakh Indians reside in West Asia, he added.

The UN Security Council had on Saturday announced sanctions on Iran targetting its controversial atomic programme after Tehran refused to halt its nuclear fuel work.