UNITED NATIONS - / www.MaximsNews.com, UN/ - 23 December 2006 --  The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously today to impose a set of sanctions against Iran over its uranium-enrichment activities, a move that was immediately rejected by Iran.

The Council called for the re-establishment of full and sustained suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities and the ratification and implementation of Additional Protocol that gives the IAEA expanded rights of access to information and sites and new authority to employ advanced technologies for verification.

The Council insisted that Iran suspend “proliferation sensitive nuclear activities," all enrichment and reprocessing activities and all heavy water-related projects and have this verified by IAEA.

The Council banned Iran’s trade of all items, equipment, goods, materials and technology which could contribute to it’s enrichment, reprocessing or heavy water-related activities, or could help in the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems.

The Council also required Member States to not provide Iran with technical assistance or training, financing, investment, or other services or transfers that are related to the supply, sale, manufacture of the prohibited technology or materials.

The Council urged Member States “to exercise vigilance regarding the entry into or transit through their territories of individuals who are engaged in, directly associated with or providing support for Iran's proliferation sensitive nuclear activities or for the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems.”

The Council established a Committee to monitor compliance and enforce a freeze on the financial assets of persons and entities that are involved with its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

It was also required that the Director of the IAEA report back to the Council within 60 days on the question of Iran's uranium enrichment suspension and compliance in relation to the Council’s threatened “further appropriate measures.”

Iran's U.N. Ambassador Javad Zarif presented a long rebuttal to the resolution and sanctions and argued that the Council’s action was part of a decades-long history of bias against his country.

“Bringing Iran's peaceful nuclear programme to the Council by a few of its permanent members, particularly the United States, is not aimed at, nor will it help, seeking a solution or encouraging negotiations. Even their stated objective has always been to use the Council as an instrument of pressure and intimidation to compel Iran to abandon its rights,” he said.

The U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the world’s nuclear watchdog in Vienna, has been unable to certify that Iran’s actions are peaceful or to determine if Iran has undeclared nuclear materials and activities.

The IAEA Director-General Muhamad ElBaradei has stated that the Agency is unable to conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in the country.

Iran has refused to suspended its enrichment and reprocessing activities and other actions required by the Security Council in the past.

For some 18 years Iran concealed its nuclear activities against its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and this has caused great concern in the international community, especially since 2003. - By Max Stamper

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