The UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution to impose sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment. This presents a double standard under which the UN is operating as it was recently admitted by Prime Minister Olmert that Israel is the only state in the Middle East with nuclear weapons. The resolution orders all countries to stop supplying Iran with certain materials and technology which could be used for nuclear missiles, and freezes the assets of 12 specific people and 11 groups involved in Iran’s nuclear program. Despite the resolution, neither Russian officials, nor the CIA have found any evidence that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons.

The resolution took more than two months to pass since Russia, Iran’s ally, was unsupportive of previous drafts which it felt were too broad. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said, “Russia views this [new] resolution as a serious message being sent to Iran regarding the need more actively and more openly to cooperate with the IAEA to lift or resolve the remaining concerns relating to their nuclear program.” He continued, “We hope that Iran will correctly and very seriously perceive the contents of this resolution and take the necessary measures to redress their situation.”

Further sanctions will be adopted by the council if Iran refuses to comply. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said Iran’s nuclear program would not be affected by the resolution. In a statement, the ministry said, “The Iranian nation, by relying on the national abilities and within the framework of nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and its undeniable rights, will continue its program.”

Senior Iranian lawmakers said their parliament may retaliate by blocking IAEA inspections. Iran’s UN Ambassador Javad Zarif said the Security Council was guilty of hypocrisy for taking no action against Israel. He added that the US and its European allies which “pushed this council to take groundless punitive measures against Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, have systematically prevented any action to nudge the Israeli regime towards submitting itself to the rules governing the nuclear non-proliferation regime.”

h/t: Martini Republic

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