U.N. May Hold Off on Confronting Iran

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad listens to a question during a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2006. Iran's hard-line president on Tuesday challenged the authority of the U.N. Security Council, saying no one can prevent his country from having a peaceful nuclear program. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) (Vahid Salemi - AP)

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. Security Council will need until mid-September before acting on its threat to punish Iran if Tehran's leaders flout a Thursday deadline to suspend uranium enrichment as is widely expected, Britain's U.N. ambassador said Tuesday.

Ambassador Emyr Jones-Parry's prediction seemed to rule out the immediate threat of sanctions against Iran if it disregards the council's demands _ spelled out in a resolution adopted this month _ to suspend enrichment by Thursday. Iran has already said it would reject the deadline.

Jones-Parry said that before it can act, the Security Council will need to receive a report from the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, on Iran's compliance with the resolution.

"Once we've had the report from the agency, had a further chance to discuss that, capitals will have a clearer view of exactly how this should be carried forward, but I would expect activity here to resume toward the middle of September," Jones-Parry said.

Another obstacle to quick action will be the language that will have to be worked out in the resolution. Russia, whose support for sanctions is essential, has publicly counseled patience with Iran _ a possible signal of reluctance to go along with the U.S.

For now, most discussions are taking place in the capitals of the permanent five Security Council nations, as well as Germany. A council diplomat said diplomats in New York have discussed ideas which could be included in a new resolution but that the council was a long way from a formal meeting.

The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.

The negotiations over the earlier Iran resolution took weeks, as did talks over a weaker statement passed this year in which the council also demanded Iran suspend enrichment.

In July, the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany offered Iran a package of incentives to entice it into clearing up questions about its nuclear program and suspending uranium enrichment.

The council then gave Iran until Aug. 31 to suspend enrichment and warned it would consider economic and political sanctions if Iran disobeys.

Although details of Iran's response last week have not been released, officials and diplomats said it was not satisfactory. Diplomats at the U.N. said they believed Iran's response would not change between now and Thursday.

Enrichment is a process that can produce either fuel for a reactor or material for weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is intended solely to generate electricity, while the United States and Europe contend it secretly aims to develop weapons.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the United States still has not decided how it will respond once the Aug. 31 deadline expires. But he reiterated that Washington will seek sanctions if Iran disregards the resolution.

"They have until the 31st of August, but we've made it very clear unless we get an unequivocal acceptance of that condition in the Security Council resolution, that sanctions would follow," Bolton said.