Saturday, March 1, 2008

UN vote on Iran sanctions postponed


A UN Security Council vote on new sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program has been postponed as sponsors seek broader support. A Western diplomat said on condition of anonymity that the vote, which had been expected Saturday, would now take place Monday at the earliest so the sponsors "can get as broad support as possible." Britain and France, the two co-sponsors of the draft, Friday put the finishing touches to the text, which puts Tehran on notice that it must comply with earlier Security Council demands to suspend its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities. Adoption of the text is a foregone conclusion as it has already been agreed by the five veto-wielding members of the council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the US. And the sponsors have enough support among the 10 non-permanent members to ensure passage, which requires nine votes and no veto. The West claims that the know-how gained from such activities could give Iran the capability to build nuclear weapons. The Islamic Republic says its nuclear program is peaceful, geared only toward generating electricity and all its activities are within the bounds of the Non-Proliferation Treaty--claims that none deny.

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