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Iran Resolution Circulated at U.N.
A European draft resolution delivered yesterday to U.N. Security Council proposes using the threat of sanctions, but not military action, to force Iran to halt uranium enrichment and address uncertainties about its nuclear programs, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, July 20). If Iran continues to resist, sanctions initiated under Article 41, Chapter 7, of the U.N. Charter could include economic or air travel sanctions or suspension of diplomatic relations. The document — proposed by the “EU-3” of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, with support from the United States — would require Iran to comply with previous council and International Atomic Energy Agency demands to stop uranium environment. While Washington had pushed for a vote on the resolution this week, the Lebanon is likely to delay such action, AP reported. Russia’s opposition to sanctions also appears to persist. The Security Council’s permanent members and Germany conducted talks yesterday, and delegates were scheduled to meet again today. “It’s now Thursday, I’m not sure how we’re going to do this by Friday, but creative minds might yet find a way through,” said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton. The draft resolution requires that Iran abide by the demands by August, but includes no reference to Tehran’s statement yesterday that it would respond Aug. 22 to a Western incentives package aimed at curtailing its nuclear program (Associated Press/New York Times, July 22). The draft resolution requires that states thwart ballistic missile and nuclear technology trade with Iran, the Washington Post reported today. It also calls on Iran to submit to additional, intrusive U.N. inspections — more than required by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The International Atomic Energy Agency would report next month on whether Iran had met the requirements, the Post reported. Russia made efforts to remove passages in the draft requiring Iran to stop enrichment and reprocessing of nuclear fuel. Moscow proposed, instead, that the council ask Iran to fulfill the obligation. Russia also offered amendments that would slow the potential imposition of sanctions and ensure the resolution could not be used to authorize military action (Colum Lynch, Washington Post, July 21). China and Russia might be backing away from the demand for a halt to Iranian uranium enrichment, one British diplomat said, according to Bloomberg. “We have seen this happen before with China and Russia,” said British Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Karen Pierce. “They think that if they can row back a bit, why not try?” (Bloomberg, July 20). Iran reaffirmed yesterday its determination to produce nuclear fuel on its soil, Reuters reported. “Based on law, Iran has planned to produce 20,000 [megawatts] of nuclear electricity in the next 20 years and needs to produce nuclear fuel inside the country for those reactors,” Larijani said in a statement (Reuters/New York Times, July 20).
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