For the second time in three months, the United Nations Security Council has unanimously adopted a Chapter Seven resolution sanctioning Iran over its enrichment-related and reprocessing activities and its refusal to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Resolution 1747 bans all Iranian arms exports and freezes the assets of twenty-eight individuals and entities involved with Iran's proliferation-sensitive nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The resolution also calls for states to exercise vigilance and restraint regarding arms exports to Iran and new commitments for grants, loans, and financial assistance to the Iranian government, with exceptions for humanitarian and developmental purposes. U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns says Resolution 1747 is "a significant rebuke to Iran and it's a significant tightening of international pressure on Iran."
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran would not halt uranium enrichment "even for a second." U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey commented on the Iranian government's response:
"Their reaction to this resolution, while in keeping with their past statements, is unfortunate. And it's unfortunate for the Iranian people who are going to continue to pay a price for their leadership's refusal to do the right thing and to enter into negotiations with the international community."
That path is still open to Iran, said Mr. Casey, provided Iran's leaders "take the simple step of complying with the repeated requests and requirements of the international community and suspend their uranium enrichment activities."
No one objects to Iran's having access to civil nuclear power, said Mr. Casey. "But. . . .Iran has conducted a clandestine nuclear program for almost twenty years now. That program. . . .is very clearly bent, not on producing power for the needs of the people, but on producing nuclear weapons. And that," said State Department deputy spokesman Casey, "is something the international community has repeatedly said it will not stand for."
