Security Council imposes sanctions on Iran

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. Security Council unanimously agreed Saturday to impose sanctions against Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment, culminating two months of negotiations to curb a nuclear program the United States claims is aimed at building weapons.

The resolution orders all countries to ban the supply of specified materials and technology that could contribute to Iran's nuclear and missile programs. It also imposes an asset freeze on key companies and individuals in the country's nuclear and missile programs named on a U.N. list.

If Iran refuses to comply, the resolution warns Iran that the council will adopt further nonmilitary sanctions.

Until the last moments before the vote, it was not clear whether all 15 Security Council members would support the resolution.

Russia and China, which both have strong commercial ties to Tehran, have pressed for a step-by-step approach to sanctions, and Qatar has supported Iran's peaceful use of nuclear energy. By contrast, the United States has pushed for tough sanctions, with Britain and France taking a slightly softer view.

Key European nations made late changes that brought Moscow and Beijing on board, including earlier this week dropping a ban on travel for key figures in Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called President Bush to discuss the Iran vote, agreeing on the need to move forward with a resolution, said Blain Rethmeier, a spokesman for Bush. The two leaders "stressed the importance of maintaining a unified position on Iran's nuclear program," Rethmeier said.

Russia's U.N. ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Moscow agreed to sanctions because it wanted Iran "to lift remaining concerns over its nuclear program."

He stressed that the goal must be to resume talks. If Iran suspends enrichment and reprocessing, the resolution calls for a suspension of sanctions "which would pave the way for a negotiated solution," Churkin said.

Acting U.S. ambassador Alejandro Wolff said he hopes the sanctions "will convince Iran that the best way to ensure security it to abandon" nuclear enrichment.

Iran insists its nuclear program is intended to produce energy, but the Americans and Europeans suspect its ultimate goal is the production of weapons.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated Tuesday that Security Council sanctions would not stop Iran from pursuing uranium enrichment, a technology that can be used to produce nuclear fuel for civilian purposes or fuel for a nuclear bomb.

The resolution authorizes action under Article 41 of Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter. It allows the Security Council to impose nonmilitary sanctions such as severing diplomatic and economic relations, transportation and communications links.

If Iran fails to comply, the draft says the council will adopt "further appropriate measures" under Article 41.

The resolution calls on all states "to exercise vigilance" regarding the entry or transit through their territory of those on a U.N. list that names 12 top Iranians involved in the country's nuclear and missile programs. It asks the 191 other U.N. member states to notify a Security Council committee that will be created to monitor sanctions when those Iranians show up in their country.

The resolution also says the council will review Iran's actions in light of a report from the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, requested within 60 days, on whether Iran has suspended uranium enrichment and complied with other IAEA demands.

If the IAEA -- the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog -- verifies that Iran has suspended enrichment and reprocessing, the resolution says the sanctions will be suspended to allow for negotiations. It says sanctions will end as soon as the IAEA board confirms that Iran has complied with all its obligations.

Before the final text was circulated, Churkin pressed for amendments to ensure that Moscow can conduct legitimate nuclear activities in Iran -- a point Churkin stressed Saturday.

Russia is building Iran's first atomic power plant at Bushehr, which is expected to go on line in late 2007. A reference to Bushehr in the original draft was removed earlier -- as Russia demanded.

The six key parties trying to curb Iran's nuclear program -- Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the United States -- offered Tehran a package of economic incentives and political rewards in June if it agreed to consider a long-term moratorium on enrichment and committed itself to a freeze on uranium enrichment before talks on its nuclear program.

That package remains an option, but with Iran refusing to comply with an Aug. 31 council deadline to stop enrichment, Britain and France circulated a draft sanctions resolution in late October, which has been revised several times since then.

To meet concerns of Russia and China that the original resolution was too broad, it was changed to specify in greater detail exactly what materials and technology would be prohibited from being supplied to Iran and to name those individuals and companies that would be affected.