UN: The U.N. Security Council votes unanimously to impose new sanctions on Iran for its nuclear non-compliance

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously on Saturday (March 24) to impose new sanctions on Iran for its nuclear ambitions, by targeting Tehran's arms exports, state-owned bank and elite Revolutionary Guards. As all 15 members of the Security Council sat down to vote, the Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was still making his way to the UN. Upon his arrival, the President of the Security Council, Dumisani S. Kumalo of South Africa immediately offered him a place around the table, and later the opportunity to address the council. The writing was on the wall, but the big powers who drafted the resolution were still keen to make it clear that they were offering Iran further talks, although the sanctions would remain in place until Iran halted enrichment. "In a region that has known too much instability and violence let us find an agreed way forward that builds confidence, and promotes peace and mutual respect. In this spirit we propose further talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran to see if a mutually acceptable way can be found to open negotiations," said British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry on behalf of his own country, the United States, France, Russia, China and Germany. Later, on behalf of the U.K, Parry added that "the path of proliferation by Iran is not one that the international community can accept." Speaking before Iran took the floor, U.S. acting ambassador Alejandro Wolff accused Iran of terrorism by noting the threat by its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to wipe Israel "off the map." "The current path chosen by Iran's leadership poses a direct challenge to the very principles on which the United Nations was founded. Iran's leadership openly proclaims that this council is illegal and it's resolutions are torn pieces of paper. And Iran's supreme leader has pledged that Iran will take illegal acts if the council proceeded with the adoption of this resolution. Article Two of the charter makes clear that all members shall refrain in their international relations from the treat or use of force from against the territorial integrity of political independence of any state. Calls by Iran's leaders to have Israel, a member state of the United Nations wiped off the map stands in stark contrast with everything for which this body stands," said Wolff. Saturday's Resolution 1747 may affect Iran's economy but does not touch on its oil industry. Iran is the world's fourth largest oil producer. It imposes an embargo on all conventional weapons Iran can sell and freezes the assets abroad of 28 individuals, institutions and companies, including Bank Sepah, as the United States has already done, isolating it from international financing. At the end of the meeting, Iran's Foreign Minister Mauouchehr Mottaki immediately rejected the council's demand to suspend uranium enrichment, which can be used for making bombs and for peaceful energy uses. Mottaki said the resolution went far beyond imposing penalties on the nuclear program. "This is the fourth time in the last twelve months, that an unwarranted move orchestrated by a few of its permanent members, the Security Council is being abused to take an unlawful, unnecessary and unjustifiable action against the peaceful nuclear program of the Islamic Republic of Iran which presents no threat to international peace and security," said Motakki. The new measures are a follow-up to a resolution adopted on Dec. 23 banning trade in sensitive nuclear materials and ballistic missiles, as well as freezing assets of individuals and institutions associated with atomic programs. The resolution also calls for a voluntary travel embargo on Iranian officials and Revolutionary Guard commanders listed in the text and urges restrictions on the import of heavy weapons to Iran. A day before the U.N. vote, on Friday (March 23), Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad canceled his appearance before the 15-member council because visas for his flight crew were delivered too late for his private plane to arrive in New York before the vote. But Washington D.C. disputes this.

ITN Source | March 25, 2007

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