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US hails new UN resolution on Iran
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-06-10 03:42
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WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama said Wednesday that the resolution adopted by the UN Security Council has sent a "unmistakable message" to Iran, warning that Iran would be more isolated if its leaders continue pursuing the present course.
"This resolution will put in place the toughest sanctions ever faced by the Iranian government, and it sends an unmistakable message about the international community's commitment to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons," Obama told reporters after the UN Security Council approved the fourth round of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.
"Today's sanctions are yet another signal that if the Iranian government continues to undermine the Non-Proliferation Treaty ( NPT) and the peace that it protects, then Iran will find itself more isolated, less prosperous and less secure," said the president.
The resolution was adopted at the 15-nation Council with 12 votes in favor. Brazil and Turkey, the two non-permanent members of the Security Council, voted against the draft resolution while Lebanon, another non-permanent Council member, abstained.
Labeling Iran's leaders as "deeply troubling", Obama accused the Iranian government of failing to live up to its obligations under the NPT regime, violating its commitments to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and ignoring UN resolutions.
"This day was not inevitable," said the president, but stressing that the sanctions are not targeted at the Iranian people and that the door on negotiating with Tehran over the controversial nuclear program is still open. "I want to be clear. These sanctions do not close the door on diplomacy. Iran continues to have the opportunity to take a different and better path," he said.
The resolution builds on existing UN sanctions imposed since 2006 and expand the breadth and reach of such measures by creating new categories of sanctions.
It prohibits Iran from investing abroad in nuclear and enrichment operations and calls on Iran, once again, to refrain from continuing its uranium-enrichment program.
It decides that Iran shall not undertake "any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using ballistic missile technology, and that states shall take all necessary measures to prevent the transfer of technology or technical assistance to Iran related to such activities."
The resolution imposes binding new restrictions on Iran's import of conventional arms. States are prohibited from selling to Iran eight categories of heavy weapons, including battle tanks, attack helicopters, and missile systems.