U.N. Powers to Resume Iran Sanctions Negotiation

Six leading U.N. nations are scheduled to meet tomorrow in Paris to resume discussions on possibly sanctioning Iran for its refusal to curb its nuclear activities, Reuters reported today (see GSN, Dec. 1).

France, Germany and the United Kingdom, with the apparent backing of the United States, last week circulated a revised set of measures intended to capture the support of China and Russia (see GSN, Nov. 29).  Those two countries balked at an earlier draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would have frozen some Iranian assets and banned the international travel of some Iranian officials.

The next version would ease Chinese and Russian concerns, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said today.

“I think we can now reach agreement on the text,” he said.  “We are in agreement with Russia to adopt sanctions against the Iranian program of proliferation” (Reuters I, New York Times, Dec. 4).

Russian Ambassador the United Nations Sergei Lavrov also offered limited optimism. 

“We are not against sanctioning Iran,” he said during a visit to Jordan Saturday.  “We have to concentrate in the U.N. Security Council on prohibiting supply to Iran of technologies, materials and services related to the areas of concern.

Still, other diplomats doubted that sanctions would be imposed in the near future.

“It’s a work in progress,” said British Ambassador to the United Nations Emyr Jones Parry.  “It’s premature to imagine there is a new text” (Evelyn Leopold, Reuters II, Dec. 2).

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