U.N. imposes sanctions on Iran

Tehran's U.N. ambassador, Javard Zarif, accused the Security Council and the United States of a double standard by punishing Iran while ignoring Israel's nuclear arsenal.

"Iran has simply thumbed its nose at the council and defied international law," British U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry told the council, adding that he remained committed to resolve the dispute through negotiations.

While Britain, France and Germany, sponsors of the resolution, urged Iran to return to negotiations, the United States sought tougher measures, such as an end to credits for Iran and a halt to arms sales. It urged the Europeans, Russia and China to do the same.

WASHINGTON WANTS MORE

"We don't think this resolution is enough in itself," Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said in a teleconference with reporters. "We'd like to see countries stop doing business as usual with Iran."

The resolution is under Chapter 7, Article 41 of the U.N. Charter, which makes enforcement mandatory but restricts action to non-military measures, and Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin emphasized this point.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose government had hesitated over supporting the resolution and succeeded in watering down parts of it, called President Bush on Saturday after reviewing the measure until the last minute.

Russia, which is building an $800 million light-water reactor for Tehran that is exempted in the resolution, has tried to maintain close ties with Iran but is also concerned about any bomb-building intentions Iran may have.

"Russia views this resolution as a serious message being sent to Iran regarding the need to more openly and accurately cooperate with the IAEA to lift or resolve the remaining concerns and questions relating to the nuclear program," Churkin told the Council.

INDIVIDUAL ASSETS

The resolution includes a freeze on financial assets abroad of 12 individuals and 10 organizations from Iran associated with nuclear programs to prevent them from buying dangerous materials. The list is attached to the resolution.

But there are numerous qualifications, including exempting contracts made prior to the adoption of the resolution.

At the last moment, Russia succeeded in deleting Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization, which produces missiles, but left three of its subsidiaries on the list.

Russia was also successful in scrapping a mandatory travel ban. Instead, the resolution now calls on states to notify a Security Council sanctions committee if any of the individuals on the list are in their countries.

The bans would be suspended if Iran suspends its enrichment work and rejoins negotiations. They would be lifted if Iran fully complies with Security Council resolutions and directives from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the United State offered Tehran a package of economic incentives and political rewards in June if it agreed to consider a long-term moratorium on enrichment.

But Iran refused, saying negotiations to date had led nowhere. The Security Council gave Iran an August 31 deadline to suspend the enrichment work and resume negotiations.