http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/06-un-approves-new-sanctions-against-iran-rs-03
UN approves new sanctions against Iran Wednesday, 09 Jun, 2010 British Ambassador to the UN Mark Lyall Grant , Chinese Ambassador to the UN Li Baodong, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin and US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice chat before the start of a UN Security Council meeting on Iran in New York City. -AFP Photo UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council on Wednesday approved new sanctions against Iran over its suspect nuclear program that target Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, ballistic missiles and nuclear-related investments. The resolution imposing a fourth round of sanctions against Iran was approved by a vote of 12-2 with Lebanon abstaining and Brazil and Turkey voting ''no.'' Turkey and Brazil, both non-permanent council members, brokered a fuel-swap agreement with Iran which they hoped would address concerns Tehran may be enriching uranium for nuclear weapons and avoid new sanctions. Brazil's UN Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti said sanctions would lead to ''suffering'' by the Iranian people, delay dialogue on the country's nuclear program, and run contrary to Brazil and Turkey's efforts to engage Tehran. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has called the sanctions the toughest ever, but the measures are still far short of crippling economic punishments or an embargo on oil shipments, Iran's prime money earner. The Security Council imposed limited sanctions in December 2006 and has been ratcheting them up in hopes of pressuring Iran to suspend enrichment and start negotiations on its nuclear program. The first two resolutions were adopted unanimously and the third by a vote of 14-0 with Indonesia abstaining. Iran has repeatedly defied the demand and has stepped up its activities, enriching uranium to 20 percent and announcing plans to build new nuclear facilities. Tehran insists its program is purely peaceful, aimed at producing nuclear energy. The US and its allies believe Iran's real aim is to produce nuclear weapons and want Iran to suspend uranium enrichment and start negotiations on it nuclear program. The new resolution bans Iran from pursuing ''any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons,'' bars Iranian investment in activities such as uranium mining, and prohibits Iran from buying several categories of heavy weapons including attack helicopters and missiles. It imposes new sanctions on 40 Iranian companies and organizations, 15 linked to Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, 22 involved in nuclear or ballistic missile activities and three linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines. That more than doubles the 35 entities now subject to an asset freeze. US REACTION President Barack Obama said the "toughest-ever" UN nuclear sanctions against Iran sent an "unmistakable message" but did not close the door to diplomacy on Tehran. "This resolution will put in place the toughest sanctions ever faced by the Iranian government and it sends an unmistakable message about the international community's commitment to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons," he said. Obama warned that the sanctions would not change Iran's intransigence over its nuclear program overnight, but he said that he hoped for the sake of the Iranian people that the Tehran government would change tack. "Today's vote demonstrates the growing costs that will come with Iranian intransigence." Obama said at the White House shortly after the UN Security Council voted to endorse the new sanctions package. But he added: "I want to be clear, these sanctions do not close the door on diplomacy, Iran continues to have the opportunity to take a different and better path." IRANIAN REACTION Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the new UN sanctions imposed on Tehran should be "thrown in the dust bin," the ISNA news agency reported. "Nothing will change. The Islamic Republic of Iran will continue uranium enrichment activities," Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's envoy to the UN nuclear watchdog in Vienna, told reporters shortly after the UN vote in New York. In Tehran, a senior lawmaker said Iranian MPs would review the level of the Islamic Republic's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). "The parliament will review Iran's cooperation level with the agency as an extra-urgent matter," Alaeddin Boroujerdi was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said the UN sanctions resolution was a "wrong" measure. "The resolution was a wrong move ... it was not a constructive step ... to resolve the nuclear issue. It will make the situation more complicated," Ramin Mehmanparast said. -AFP/Reuters [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
