U.N. imposes sanctions on Iran

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council has voted unanimously to impose sanctions on Iran's trade in sensitive nuclear materials and technology, an effort to stop enrichment work that could be used in bombs.

"Today we are placing Iran in the small category of states under Security Council sanctions," acting U.S. Ambassador Alejandro Wolff told the council before Saturday's 15-0 vote, which followed two months of tough negotiations.

Iran, which refused to end its uranium enrichment work in exchange for economic incentives earlier this year, immediately condemned the resolution as illegal and said it would not affect its "peaceful" nuclear program.

China immediately called for a resumption of talks to attempt to defuse the confrontation.

A Foreign Ministry statement on Sunday said that, while Beijing backed the U.N. resolution to punish Tehran, it did not think sanctions would bring a permanent solution to the problem.

"The Chinese side calls on all sides to continue all-out diplomatic efforts to push for an early resumption of talks and seek a long-term, comprehensive solution," it said.

The resolution demands Iran end all research on uranium enrichment, which can produce fuel for nuclear power plants as well as for bombs, and halt all research and development on methods of producing or delivering atomic weapons.

The thrust of the sanctions is a ban on imports and exports of dangerous materials and technology relating to uranium enrichment, reprocessing and heavy-water reactors, as well as ballistic missile delivery systems.

LESS RESTRICTIVE

The measure is less restrictive than the original draft, drawn up by Britain, France and Germany, due to Russian objections. A ban on Iran's oil exports was not considered.

In Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told state-run television the resolution "cannot affect or limit Iran's peaceful nuclear activities but will discredit the decisions of the Security Council."

He said Iran would continue to install 3,000 centrifuge units at Natanz, the site of a uranium enrichment plant.