New UN sanctions draft aims to mount pressure on Iran
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The five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany announced Tuesday their agreement on a draft resolution proposing new sanctions against Iran in a surprise move that comes a day after Iran agreed to a deal aimed at soothing UN concerns.
The 10-page draft, which has been circulated to the full 15-member body, came only one day after the signing of a nuclear fuel swap deal reached by Iran, Brazil and Turkey. The U.S. and other Western officials regard that deal as "delaying tactics" played by Iran to avoid sanctions.
Analysts say that, by publicizing support for sanctions at this juncture, the major powers were trying to mount fresh pressure upon the Islamic Republic in a move to persuade it to take concrete measures to rebuild international trust for its nuclear program.
Since December 2006, the UN Security Council has imposed three sets of sanctions on Iran. The new draft, which has been the subject of intensive consultations since early April, builds on existing sanctions, and expands the breadth and reach of UN sanctions on Iran by creating new categories of sanctions.
But, in spite of tougher measures, the resolution resembles its previous counterparts in the sense that it continues to adhere to the dual-track strategy, a combination of diplomacy and sanctions designed to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue.
U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said the goal of the draft resolution was two-fold -- to increase "the cost to Iran's leadership for their continued defiance of the international community," and to "persuade that it is in its interest to peacefully resolve concerns about its nuclear program."
"The draft seeks to support and not replace our efforts to engage Iran diplomatically," Rice told reporters. "We have said throughout this process that the door remains open to Iran to live up to its obligations and achieve a better relationship with the international community."
Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the draft focused "adequately on proliferation matters" and was not supposed to create any problems for normal economic activities in Iran and its normal relations with other countries, or to cause humanitarian damage.
Despite the backing of all five permanent members of the Security Council -- the United States, Russia, France, Britain and China -- the draft is not likely to be adopted by the council without difficulty.
Non-permanent council members Turkey and Brazil, who helped mediate the nuclear swap deal with Iran, have made clear they would not support sanctions against Iran, at least for now.
Brazil's UN Ambassador, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, said Brazil would not engage in any discussion on the draft because "there is a new situation" and that "we should seize this opportunity for dialogue."
