UN agrees on diluted Iran draft sanctions

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (R) meets with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei (L) in Teheran, capital of Iran, Oct. 4, 2009. ElBaradei arrived in Teheran on Oct. 3.

By Guo Qiang

Major powers have reached a consensus over US-led draft sanctions on Iran over its controversial nuclear program, a day after the announcement of a fuel-swap deal that Tehran deemed a step toward ending its years-old standoff with the West.

Capping months of negotiations, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany agreed Tuesday on the US-introduced 10-page draft resolution, which had been already circulated to the full 15-member body and awaits voting.

Its content includes sanctions such as banning Iran from building ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons and freezing the assets of nuclear-related companies linked to the Revolutionary Guards, as well as barring Iranian investment in activities such as uranium mining and prohibiting Iran from buying several categories of heavy weapons, according to a report carried by the AP.

Li Baodong, China's representative at the UN, said, "Circulating a draft resolution on Iran does not mean the door of diplomacy is closed, and we believe that the dialogue, diplomacy and negotiations are the best way to address the Iranian nuclear issue."

US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said the resolution would give "greater teeth" to existing sanctions and add "strong" new measures to intensifying pressure on the Iranian government to resolve concerns that its nuclear program is peaceful and not aimed at producing nuclear weapons.

Originally, the US and its European allies had hoped to impose a total arms embargo against Tehran and blacklist its central bank, but diplomats said Russia and China had opposed those moves, according to a Reuters report.

Many of the measures in the resolution are non-binding and diplomats said the European Union and the US would treat calls for "vigilance" against the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines and other firms as bans and would pass regulations that go beyond any new UN measures, the report said.

The resolution came only one day after Iran, Brazil and Turkey signed a nuclear fuel-swap deal, under which Iran will send some 1,200 kilograms of its 3.5 percent enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for a total of 120 kilograms of 20 percent uranium needed for a medical research reactor.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Tuesday that "China has always stuck to the 'dual-track' strategy in seeking a solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, and appreciates the mediation efforts made by Turkey and Brazil."