US wants quick UN action on Iran; China doubts

United Nations, Apr 29: The United States and Britain said yesterday they would step up pressure on Iran by moving quickly on a UN Security Council resolution seeking to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions, despite objections from China.

US Ambassador John Bolton and British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry were responding to a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency that said Iran had ignored a March council statement demanding Tehran suspend uranium enrichment, a process used in making bombs as well as electric power.

''I think it is clear that Iran has done nothing to comply with existing IAEA board resolutions or the requests in the Security Council statement'' of last month, Bolton said.

''The point is to enhance international pressure on Iran, to show just how isolated they are,'' Bolton said. ''There is still time for Iran to reverse the policy it is pursuing.'' Jones Parry said his delegation would introduce a draft resolution on the IAEA report by the middle of next week.

But the initial resolution will not threaten sanctions or hint at military force.

Instead it will put directives by the 35-member IAEA board of governors and the March council statement into a UN resolution under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which makes it legally binding. The resolution would also say that Iran's nuclear program was a threat to ''international peace and security,'' Bolton said.

Iran will be given a relatively short time to comply, after which Western powers would consider targeted sanctions against individuals and possible restrictions on trade, Bolton said.

''The purpose of acting under Chapter 7 is to involve the mandatory compliance features,'' Bolton said.

''They have to comply or the Security Council is prepared to take other steps,'' he said.'' Chapter 7 makes council resolutions mandatory under international law. It allows for sanctions or even war, but a separate resolution would be required to specify either step.

China's UN ambassador Wang Guangya again made clear Beijing's opposition to sanctions and raised doubts about any resolution under Chapter 7, which was used extensively against Saddam Hussein's Iraq for over a decade.

''There are a lot of problems in the region and we should not do anything that would cause the situation to become even more complicated,'' said Wang when asked about sanctions.

''Whenever Chapter 7 is invoked this will not be the end of the resolutions. This will usually be the beginning of a series of resolutions.'' Earlier in the week, Wang had told reporters, ''I think Chapter 7 means many things, including the worst scenario, and I don't want to elaborate on that.'' Jones Parry, however, said no punitive action would be taken if Iran complied.

''If Iran is prepared to comply fully with the wishes of the international community, then the next stage will not follow,'' he said. ''A diplomatic solution is what we are all looking for.'' But Iran has made clear it would defy any resolution on its nuclear activities.

Tehran's UN ambassador Javad Zarif told reporters in New York yesterday that Iran's program was legal, peaceful and posed no threat to global security.

''If the Security Council decides to take decisions that are not within its competence, then Iran does not feel obliged to obey,'' Zarif said.

Today, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was blunter. ''Those who want to prevent Iranians from obtaining their right should know that we do not give a damn about such resolutions,'' he said.

REUTERS