UN body agrees on new Iran sanctions

Envoys from six world powers reached agreement in principle on a proposed new package of sanctions against Iran and expect to introduce a resolution to the UN Security Council on Thursday if their governments give a green light, the US ambassador said.

Envoys from six world powers reached agreement in principle on a proposed new package of sanctions against Iran and expect to introduce a resolution to the UN Security Council on Thursday if their governments give a green light, the US ambassador said.

Approval by the governments of the US, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany would be an important first step. The package would still need to be considered by the 10 non-permanent members of the UN Security Council .

Nonetheless, an agreement by the five veto-wielding permanent members of the council and Germany would

be a strong signal to the other council members of the unity of the key nations on the UN’s most powerful body — and a sign that they want to send a united message to Iran to suspend uranium enrichment.

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“We have an agreement in principle based on some additional changes that were introduced and presented today by some delegations,” acting US Ambassador Alejandro Wolff said on Wednesday. “So it’s new elements and understandings that need confirmation from capitals. But it is a package approach that, if approved by capitals, would be the way forward in a resolution.”

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said “by and large it has been agreed.”

“There are some among us who still want to double-check with the capitals on some of the details of this deal,” Churkin said. “I assume as they double-check, they will get a positive response from the capitals, and they expect that this is going to be the case, too.”

The new resolution would also call on all UN member states to exercise “vigilance and restraint” on arms imports—and on the entry or transit through their territory of Iranians subject to the asset freeze, a council diplomat said.

Resolution is ‘a piece of torn paper’: Ahmadinejad

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TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday a United Nations Security Council resolution could not stop the Islamic state from obtaining nuclear technology, IRNA news reported.

“What is the aim of issuing such resolutions? Today we are mastering the nuclear fuel cycle completely,” Ahmadinejad said at a rally.”If all of you (Westerners) get together and call your ancestors from hell as well, you will not be able to stop the Iranian nation.” Earlier, Ahmadinejad had said any possible UN sanctions resolution on Iran would be just “a piece of torn paper” which would not stop Iranian nuclear work.—Reuters