Six major powers, including five permanent UN Security Council members—China, the United States, Britain, France, and Russia—along with Germany, circulated a proposal for a third sanctions resolution against Iran on January 22, calling for travel bans, asset freezes and vigilance on all banks in Iran.
The following are the key provisions of the draft:
Travel Ban
All states shall seek to prevent entry into or transit through the territory of specific individuals "engaged in, directly associated with or providing support for Iran's proliferation of sensitive nuclear activities or for the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems."
Asset Freeze
An assets freeze detailed in a previous resolution last year will include specified persons and entities.
Financial Monitoring
States are urged to exercise vigilance over activities of their financial institutions with banks domiciled in Iran's territories, especially Bank Melli and Bank Saderat.
The proposal still follows the basic guidelines of Resolution 1747, but expands the scope of the sanctions accordingly.
Although the outlined text of the proposed new sanctions has been agreed to by major world powers; it may take the UN weeks to vote due to the fact that a disparity lies amid the different voices and perspectives of UN members on the sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.
China and Russia, both commercial partners with Iran, have hardened their opposition to tough sanctions, since a US intelligence report last month stated Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003.
China urged all sides of Iran's standoff with the West to be creative and find a new diplomatic solution.
"China calls on all parties concerned to step up diplomatic efforts to be creative and seek new approaches to break the deadlock; and achieve a comprehensive solution to the Iran question," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a news conference.
The US; however, was anxious to play the "sanction" card; and urged the UN to take immediate action.
The spokesman for the US mission to the UN, Richard Grenell, said the second sanctions resolution, approved by the council in March 2007, called for the consideration of further measures within 60 days if Teheran kept enriching its nuclear supplies.
"We think the situation calls for Security Council action," Grenell said.
Other Western powers expressed anxiety about the situation, and sided with US. They fear Iran's nuclear program will result in the development of nuclear weapons, to which Iran said is intended to generate electricity.
Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, is expected to submit his next report to the Security Council in the third week of February. Some diplomats say the IAEA chief plans to clarify outstanding questions about Iran's past nuclear program.
South Africa, a key member of the Non-Aligned Movement, a bloc composed of developing countries, hesitates to force Teheran to halt uranium enrichment since it is concerned that wealthier countries will monopolize uranium fuel.
Iran, currently under the world's spotlight as the fourth-largest crude oil exporter and for its blurry nukes program, vowed, on January 23, to press on with its disputed nuclear work – regardless of the new UN sanctions –one day after the world powers agreed on the outline of a new resolution. In view of the complex situation, all concerned parties need to be patient and wait for the final outcome, which is estimated to be weeks away.
By People's Daily OnlineAuthor：World Politics Time：2008-05-24 From：china daily
