UN under pressure to sanction Iran

UN: A week of constant pressure is expected to start Monday within the UN Security Council in the wake of a proposal made by its permanent members, led by the United Status, to apply new sanctions against Iran.

More elements will add to the issue when Tehran presents before UN nuclear agency chief Yukika Amano the pact signed with Brazil and Turkey to exchange Iranian enriched uranium.

The initiative of another punishment round against Iran for its nuclear program for peaceful purposes was introduced last Tuesday under the auspices of the five permanent members of the Council (the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China).

Their maneuver came immediately after Brazil, Turkey and Iran signed a pact to exchange Iranian enriched uranium out of Iranian territory, as demanded by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Under the agreement, Iran will send Turkey 1,200 kilograms of uranium and will receive, in a year, 120 kilograms of enriched uranium for a medical research reactor. The pact was signed by Presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Brazil), Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Iran) and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (Turkey).

Diplomatic sources revealed here that after the presentation of the draft sanctions to the Security Council, Brazil and Turkey (non-permanent members) have remained oblivious, though present, to technical discussions of the project.

The sanctions promoted by the United States, backed by other Council permanent members, include an open sea inspection of Iranian ships, restrictions to Iranian investments abroad and a ban on arms sale to Iran.

The negotiation process on the draft resolution presented by them may take three to four weeks to be put to the vote in June, when Mexico will be at the helm of the UN Security Council.

United Nations, Prensa Latina