Chancellor Angela Merkel will today urge US President George W. Bush not to press too quickly for international sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme, a foreign policy adviser close to the German leader said yesterday in Berlin.

The chancellor, who will be holding her second round of talks with Mr Bush since taking office last year, is worried that "if a whole series of steps against Iran are proposed, including international sanctions, then this would end the unityin the international com-munity on the issue", the senior official said.