World Powers Agree on UN Sanctions Against Iran

Six world powers have agreed on a package of sanctions against Iran for refusing to halt uranium enrichment. VOA's Peter Heinlein at the United Nations reports the agreement has been submitted to the Security Council for action.

Ambassadors from the five permanent Security Council members and Germany agreed on a draft resolution that would order an embargo on Iranian arms exports and a freeze on the assets of an enlarged list of individuals and entities involved in Iran's nuclear program.

An obviously pleased British U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones-Parry announced the deal as he went into the Council chambers Thursday to brief other members on details of the resolution.

"We have an agreement, and I'll introduce a text on behalf of the six in 10 minutes," he said.

An earlier resolution, adopted by the Council in late December, penalized Iran for defying a demand that it suspend uranium enrichment. It imposed trade sanctions on some sensitive Iranian nuclear-related activities, and froze the assets of many officials involved in the nuclear program.

Ambassador Jones-Parry says this new draft is aimed at ratcheting up the pressure on Iran to halt its program and to come back to the negotiating table.

"I think in four elements it's a distinct ratcheting up," he said. "It's incremental, that's what we've said. It requires us of course to adopt this resolution, but if it does it sends the right message, but it's a duality. It's upping the pressure, but at the same time saying, this process is reversible if Iran actually accepts the conditions. So the ball remains in Iran's court. We want, would prefer, a diplomatic solution to this, but it requires Iran to stop enrichment and research and development. If she does that and comes into negotiations, we can have a different, better relationship between Iran and Europe and, I believe, the wider international community."

The list of those hit by the sanctions has been extended to include elements of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, as well as one of the largest state-owned banks, Sepah, which provides support to Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization.

Diplomats say, however, that the sanctions would be suspended if Iran complies with the Council's demands within 60 days.

At a rally in central Iran Thursday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the new sanctions would fail, noting that past sanctions did not stop Iran from obtaining nuclear technology. He also hinted at retaliatory measures if new sanctions are imposed.

Iran has repeatedly denied any intention to produce nuclear weapons, and has said its nuclear program is for producing electricity. But inspectors of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency say they cannot confirm that Iran's nuclear ambitions are peaceful.

The Security Council President for March, South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo, says the 10 non-permanent members of the Council will review the text of the draft resolution in their capitals over the next several days. If there are no serious objections, diplomats say the sanctions measure could be approved sometime next week. - VOA News