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Iran sanctions proposals 'agreed' Iran sanctions discussions paused
(about 1 hour later)
A new UN Security Council resolution on Iran's nuclear programme has been backed by members and will go to a vote this Saturday, a top UK diplomat says. Negotiations at the United Nations over a resolution imposing further sanctions over Iran have been paused briefly.
The draft resolution proposes to augment existing sanctions with a ban on arms exports by Iran, and new financial and travel restrictions. Britain, France and the US want a vote on Saturday but Qatar, Indonesia and South Africa, members of the Security Council, have concerns.
Iran rejects claims that it is seeking to produce nuclear weapons, saying its atomic programme is purely civilian. President Ahmadinejad of Iran has been given a visa by the US government so he can be present for the vote.
Its president has been given a US visa so he can attend the vote in New York. The five permanent members of the security council and Germany proposed new sanctions against Iran last week.
Frozen assets
These include a ban on the export of arms from the country and freezing the financial assets of key individuals and institutions involved in Iran's nuclear programme.
PROPOSED SANCTIONS Ban on Iranian arms exportsCall for end to new loansTravel restrictions on people involved in Iran's programmeFreeze on the assets of key Iranian leadersIran given 60 days to halt enrichment or face further measures Q&A: Iran nuclear rowPROPOSED SANCTIONS Ban on Iranian arms exportsCall for end to new loansTravel restrictions on people involved in Iran's programmeFreeze on the assets of key Iranian leadersIran given 60 days to halt enrichment or face further measures Q&A: Iran nuclear row
"Our intention is that there should be a vote Saturday. We'll meet [on Friday] for one final consideration. But the text is in blue," said the UK's UN ambassador Emyr Jones Parry, indicating that the text had won broad agreement ahead of a vote. But there are three members of the Security Council with objections.
Last December, the Security Council voted unanimously to impose a first, limited set of sanctions against Iran for refusing to halt uranium enrichment. The new draft is expected to give Iran 60 days to comply with UN demands or face "further appropriate measures". Qatar and Indonesia want the resolution to call for a nuclear-free Middle East - meaning Israel should get rid of its nuclear weapons.
Negotiations Russia has suggested some compromise language.
During negotiations on the draft, a South African suggestion of a 90-day suspension of sanctions to allow political negotiations with Tehran was rejected. South Africa has called for major changes, most of which have been rejected.
A proposal by Indonesia and Qatar to include in the draft a paragraph recalling the ambition of a "Middle East free from weapons of mass destruction and all missiles for their delivery" was also dismissed. However, diplomats say the idea of Russia enriching uranium for Iran has been included, an notion approved by South Africa.
The new draft restates an offer of economic and diplomatic incentives made by the five permanent council members - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - and Germany, aimed at inducing Iran to halt its enrichment programme. The five permanent members of the Security Council would like this resolution to be passed unanimously.
The BBC's Laura Trevelyan, at the UN, says Western governments would prefer a unanimous vote from the 15-member Security Council on Saturday, as that would send a more powerful signal to Iran. This would send a stronger signal to Iran than if there is a divided Council.
But this does not seem likely and they have decided to go for a vote anyway, she adds. The full Council meets again later on Friday with the possibility of a vote on Saturday.
The detention of the 15 British servicemen by Iran will only heighten the tension - the French ambassador described this as a "concerning development".