After several months of grueling diplomacy, the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday imposed a fourth round of sanctions on Iran's military establishment -- a move that the United States and other major powers said should prompt the Islamic Republic to restart stalled political talks over the future of its nuclear program. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the foreign ministers of allied nations asked the European Union's chief diplomat to pursue talks with Iran at the "earliest possible opportunity," and President Obama asserted that "these sanctions do not close the door on diplomacy." "We think that the sanctions send a kind of message to the entire Iranian leadership, which is quite diverse in their assessments and reactions, that there is still an opportunity for you to participate and to work with us," Clinton said after the 15-nation council adopted Resolution 1929 in 12-to-2 vote, with Brazil and Turkey casting no votes and Lebanon abstaining. The diplomatic outreach was aimed at underlining the commitment of the United States and its allies to moving beyond punishment to cooperation with the Iranian government. But it also appeared calculated to shift the burden to Tehran to decide whether it will embrace negotiations with the United States and other key powers. After Wednesday's vote, Iran's U.N. envoy, Mohammad Khazaee, sounded a similarly defiant note, saying the United States and its allies will "never be able to break our determination." 'Tough, strong' Even as Washington pushed for resumed talks, American and European officials indicated that Tehran may face a new wave of sanctions by individual countries and regional blocs if its refuses to comply with measures adopted Wednesday. Clinton, traveling in Latin America, told reporters that the United States would move forcefully to ensure enforcement of the sanctions, which she said would make it easier to "slow down and interfere" with Iran's nuclear program. Still, the resolution fell short of the "crippling sanctions" that she had pledged to impose on Iran a year ago, and the Obama administration was unable to secure a unanimous vote at the Security Council, as the Bush administration did on other sanctions resolutions on Iran. The administration did succeed in preserving support from China and Russia, although only after assuring them that the measures would not impair their ability to continue trading with Tehran. "These are tough, strong and comprehensive sanctions that will be the most significant of all of the resolutions that imposed sanctions on Iran," Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said in an interview. "The fact that the Iranians have exerted so much effort and spent so much money to block this from coming into effect is one of several indications that they really don't want these sanctions adopted and enacted." Pushback felt The U.S. effort to rein in Iran's nuclear program encountered its first major pushback from regional powerhouses, Brazil and Turkey, which had negotiated a deal with Iran that involved the transfer of low enriched uranium. On Wednesday, Clinton and her allied counterparts vowed to seek to engage Iran in talks on the deal. Brazil's U.N. ambassador, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, nevertheless, faulted the United States for prematurely abandoning the diplomatic track. Turkey offered a more measured response, saying that it recognized the United States and its partners had legitimate concerns. "Our vote against the resolution should not be construed as indifference to the problem emanating from Iran's nuclear program," said Turkey's U.N. ambassador, Ertugrul Apakan. The resolution will reinforce a range of existing economic, high-technology and military sanctions against Iran, encourage states to pursue Iranian vessels suspected of transporting banned materials and strengthen the U.N.'s capacity to monitor enforcement. It steps up pressure on banks and insurers to sever ties with Iranian entities linked to Iran's nuclear program. And it freezes the assets of various officials, including the head of the Iranian atomic energy agency, as well as of 40 entities linked to the nation's military elite. The sanctions target 15 companies linked to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and Security, said the passage of the resolution represented an "important victory for the United States," in part because it strengthens the United States' negotiating position. He added: "This creates more pressure on countries, even China, to deny Iran the ability to buy sensitive equipment illegally." But others disagreed. Flynt Leverett, a former National Security Council expert on the Middle East, called the sanctions "substantively weak." "There are a number of 'optional' sanctions, particularly with regard to financial services," Leverett said. "The net effect of these 'optional' sanctions, which will be pursued by the United States and some of its allies, but no one else, will be to reallocate business opportunities in Iran from Western states to China and other non-Western powers." UN Security Council Ratifies Fourth Round of Iran Sanctions The United Nations' Security Council ratified a fourth round of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran on Wednesday in order to stymie its continued attempts to manufacture nuclear weapons. Russia and China both supported the ten-page resolution, after the United States promised them that their ability to trade with Iran would not be curtailed. The new sanctions were passed after being watered down during negotiations with Russia and China on Tuesday. The sanctions were softened in order to win Russian and Chinese support. They do not include the crippling economic sanctions that the United States had promised last year and that Israel had hoped for. They do include a ban on Iran's purchasing heavy weapons such as attack helicopters and missiles. Rules on financial transactions with Iran's banks have been toughened. The head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Agency, Javad Rahiqi, has been slapped with asset freezes and a travel ban, as have 40 firms linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other sections of the military elite. US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said following the vote that the Security Council “has risen to its responsibilities and now Iran should choose a wiser course." "These are tough, strong and comprehensive sanctions that will be the most significant of all of the resolutions that imposed sanctions on Iran," Rice said in an interview. "The fact that the Iranians have exerted so much effort and spent so much money to block this from coming into effect is one of several indications that they really don't want these sanctions adopted and enacted. I think they share our views, quite frankly, that these are a significant and serious set of new sanctions." Israel hinted that it expects the UNSC resolution to be followed up by harsher steps by a group of nations with the United States at its head. Otherwise, it warned, "The ramifications of the connection between Iran's radical ideology and nuclear weapons will be catastrophic." "Israel sees Security Council Resolution 1929 as an important step, which defines clearly once again the demand that Iran comply with international demands: cease uranium enrichment, including enrichment to [a level of] 20%; stop construction of the facility at Qom; cooperate fully with the {International Atomic Energy Agency] inquiry into the military dimension of the nuclear program; and give the agency full access [to its facilities].” "This is the sixth resolution demanding that Iran cease enrichment and cooperate with the IAEA,” the MFA noted. “Iran has thus far blatantly flouted all of the resolutions adopted until now, showing blatant disregard for the international community and its institutions. There is great importance to the immediate and full implementation of the resolution.” "We must make clear, however, that the resolution in and of itself is not enough. It must be accompanied by meaningful steps in other international forums, and on the national level. Only this kind of sanctions, that will focus on a variety of sectors in Iran, could affect the broad spectrum of Iranian considerations. Large scale and resolute international action... is needed to make Iran clearly see the international community's demands." Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that the new UN sanctions would
by Gil Ronen June 9, 2010 http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/137983
Thursday, 10 June 2010
"The resolution allows Iran to buy light weapons and to conclude purchase of five surface-to-air missles from Russia."
Isn't that great!!!! Iran can still get the S-300 surface-to-air missles from Russia to protect itself from an Israeli attack on their nuclear sites.
U.N. imposes another round of sanctions on Iran
By Colum Lynch and Glenn Kessler June 10, 2010
Twelve member states voted in favor of the resolution. Turkey and Brazil voted against it, claiming that the Security Council may not have used up all of its diplomatic options vis-a-vis Iran, and Lebanon – a temporary member of the UNSC – abstained.
Israel: Sanctions on Iran Important, But Not Enough
by Gil Ronen June 9, 2010 http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/137984
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) expressed its approval Wednesday of the latest round of sanctions passed by the United Nations Security Council against Iran, but said that they were not enough to deter Iran from pursuing its nuclear weapons program.
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