UN agrees on diluted Iran draft sanctions

Both China and Russia have economic connections with Iran, and it is reasonable to negotiate over the measures for the fourth set of sanctions, as they are likely to have an adverse effect on trade, Yin added.

Wang Feng, a researcher at the Institute of West Asia and Africa at CASS, said China's agreement over the US-led resolution came at a time when its diplomatic efforts didn't seem to have produced a tangible outcome.

"Iran has long ignored past sanctions or mediation of multiple parties," she said.

Laurie Dundon, an expert on Iran at the Bertelsmann Foundation in Washington, DC, told the Xinhua News Agency that it was now up to Iran to decide how to respond in the face of possible new UN sanctions.

"Major powers need to see detailed pledges and verifiable actions before pulling options off the table," Dundon said.

Since December 2006, the UN Security Council has imposed three sets of sanctions on Iran. Past rounds included trade in sensitive nuclear materials and technology, sanctions against Iranian financial institutions and banning arms exports from Iran.

However, Yin noted, "The draft could be seen as the latest effort of the international community to solve the Iranian standoff," but he said "it could hardly have an effective effect on the nuclear standoff."

Non-permanent council members Turkey and Brazil, which helped mediate the nuclear- swap deal with Iran, have made clear they would not support sanctions against Iran, at least for now.

Agencies contributed to this story