UN issues Iran with nuclear ultimatum
The 15-member UN Security Council unanimously approved a non-binding statement giving Iran 30 days to comply with demands that it abandon uranium enrichment activities.
In a concession to Russia and China, the text, drafted by Britain and France, “requests in 30 days a report from the director general of the IAEA (UN nuclear watchdog) on the process of Iranian compliance with the steps required by the IAEA board, to the IAEA board of governors and in parallel to the Security Council for its consideration.”
The co-sponsors initially sought a report in 14 days.
After the text was adopted, Iran’s UN envoy Javad Zarif told reporters that he had been prevented from addressing the Council to make his case.
“We have been told this was a matter of procedure but I believe it was more than that,” he added, without elaborating.
“Iran will have to consider the statement in Tehran and will respond accordingly,” Zarif added, while restating his country’s commitment to non-proliferation.
“We have made it clear that Iran doesn’t want nuclear weapons,” he said, but also warned: “We are allergic to pressure and intimidation and we do not respond well to that.”
He emphasized that Tehran would not forfeit its right to uranium enrichment as a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty but remained committed to a negotiated solution.
Germany, France and Britain pursued three years of ultimately inconclusive negotiations to coax Tehran away from its nuclear program in exchange for economic incentives.
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