Western countries, under pressure from Russia and China, drafted a
blueprint for a fourth round of sanctions against Iran which would not
tighten the ban on trade between Western banks and the Central
Bank of Iran (CBI), Israel Radio reported overnight Friday.
Diplomats
at the United Nations were quoted as saying that the United States,
Britain, France and Germany accepted Russia’s proposal that the West
only ban trading with newly-established Iranian banks, and not increase
existing trade limitations with the CBI.
China holds a position similar to Russia’s.
The new UN draft for sanctions against Iran would not put the Islamic republic in a black list of countries obligating all member states to avoid trade with the country, but does allow smaller entities, like the US or the entire bloc of European Union member countries, to implement their own sanctions.
Russia proposed that oversight on trade with Iran be made according to a similar model as current global trade with North Korea.
Additionally, Russia opposes a full weapons embargo against Iran.
A Moscow official was quoted by Israel Radio as saying that the deal to supply Iran with the S-300 anti-missile defense system would go ahead. During a recent visit by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to the country, Moscow promised not to implement a deal to sell the system after Netanyahu convinced the Russians that such a move would destabilize the region.
The S-300 is considered the best system of its kind today and can engage multiple targets at once.
Israel views Iranian deployment of the system as a serious obstacle to any potential aerial attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Although the arms deal was signed several years ago, it has yet to be implemented. However, a prominent Israeli Iran expert, Dr. Ronen Bergman, has assessed that Iran has already been supplied with the system and has deployed it.
The US, France and Germany would have the UN Security Council discuss
the new drafts in the coming weeks, but the implementation of new sanctions may take
several months, US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton said.
Iran is already under three rounds of UN sanctions.