Iran gets August 31 deadline
2006-07-31 17:15
New York - The UN security
council on Monday demanded Iran suspend its nuclear activities
by the end of August or face the threat of sanctions.
The council adopted a resolution demanding the suspension
by a vote of 14 to 1, with Qatar, the only Arab member of the
council, voting against.
The resolution, under negotiation for weeks, demands Iran
"suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities,
including research and development".
If Tehran does not comply by August 31, the council would
consider adopting "appropriate measures" under Article 41 of
chapter 7 of the UN charter, which pertains to economic
sanctions, says the draft.
Legally binding
The resolution is the first on Iran with legally binding
demands and a threat to consider sanctions.
The United States
and its allies suspect Iran is developing a nuclear bomb and
accuse it of hiding research over 18 years.
On the eve of the anticipated vote, Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a news conference the resolution was
unacceptable and his country had the right "to take advantage
of peaceful nuclear technology".
Germany and the council's five permanent members with veto
power - the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain
- negotiated the text.
But Russia and China are reluctant to impose sanctions and
Moscow's UN ambassador, Valery Churkin, has said the
sanctions provision meant the council would have "a discussion"
only on punitive measures.
package
Churkin also said the August 31 date was to meet Iran's
request that it be given until August 22 to respond to an offer
in June from the six nations of an energy, commercial and
technological package if Tehran suspended its nuclear work.
Britain's UN ambassador, Emyr Jones Parry, told reporters
before the vote: "Our message to Iran is that we are open to
negotiations (and) the package is quite clear (in) what it
offers and what it requires."
"If Iran is prepared to take those steps then we can move
forward constructively," Jones Parry said.