President George W. Bush (archive photo)
Photo: Reuters
US pushing for arms embargo on Iran
United States pressuring fellow UN Security Council members to increase sanctions against Islamic Republic in coming days, but China, Russia may stifle attempts to draft harsher resolution
WASHINGTON – The United States is pressuring fellow UN Security Council members to increase the sanctions imposed against Iran in the coming days.
The Americans, British and French are demanding a harsher resolution that would include a weapons embargo on the Islamic Republic, this according to Dumisani Kumalo, South Africa's permanent representative to the United Nations.
The Security Council has also suggested limiting the travel of Iranian officials, tightening the embargo on arms sales to Iran and increasing economic sanctions, he added.
However, Russia and China are calling to moderate the current resolution and may attempt to prolong the discussions on the matter.
'Olmert’s statement validated suspicions'
It seems that the Americans would be willing to settle for a resolution that would be accepted by all members as long as it would offer the Iranians no more than 60 days to comply.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Mohamed ElBaradei said recently that Iran has expanded its enrichment-related activities in defiance of the UN resolution.
Meanwhile, Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Chief Gholamreza Aghazadeh was quoted by ISNA news agency as saying Tuesday that, “At the demand of the president (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad), the construction of the first domestic nuclear power plant with capacity of 360 MW has started.’
The Iranian issue is currently being discussed at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, where representatives of 15 Arab states said Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s recent statement regarding Israel’s nuclear capabilities serves as proof that the Jewish state is in breach of international agreements calling for a nuclear-free Middle East.
“Olmert’s statement validated suspicions regarding Israel’s nuclear capabilities,” the Arab representatives said in a joint statement.
