US hopes India to implement Iran sanctions

Washington, Jun 11: United States enunciated that India would carry out the tough sanctions imposed by United Nations Security Council against Iran's nuclear weapons program.

William Burns, the US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs said that they hope India would take an 'admirable' stand on the Security Council resolutions.

"And I do expect that India, as its leadership has made clear publicly, will follow through and implement the new resolution," Burns said, when asked if India and the US were on the same page on sanctions against Iran. He was talking to the media on Thursday, Jun 10.

He noted that India has voted three times in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, to hold Iran accountable for its failure to meet its international obligations.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has also reinforced on a number of occasions the fact that India shares international concerns about a nuclear-armed Iran and the obvious negative consequences that would have for a part of the world that's very important to both of us, as well as to the global economy," he said.

The new UN sanctions target Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard and include freezing the assets of 40 additional companies and organizations - 15 linked to the guards, 22 involved in nuclear or ballistic missile activities and three linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines.

The sanctions also bar Iran from pursuing "any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons," investing in nuclear-related activities like uranium mining, and buying some categories of heavy weapons, including attack helicopters and missiles.

US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and External Affairs Minister SM Krishna had figured the Iran issue during the recently concluded India-US Strategic Dialogue.

OneIndia News