UNSC chair: Iran sanction vote this week

Resolution to ban sales of ballistic weapons, freeze IRGC assets.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ahmadinejad, Erdogan, Da Silva et al (photo credit: Associated Press)
Ahmadinejad, Erdogan, Da Silva et al
(photo credit: Associated Press)
UNITED NATIONS  — A resolution imposing new sanctions on Iran, focusing on the Revoluionary Guards Corps' international activities and bank accounts, as well as sales of advanced weapons systems to Iran is ready for a vote by the UN Security Council.
Mexico's UN Ambassador Claude Heller, the current council president, said on Monday that a vote on sanctions over Iran's insistence on pursuing a suspect nuclear program would be held within the week, according to a decision by council members.
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Consultations were still being held with Brazil and Turkey, both pressing for an open "political debate" on the broader Iranian nuclear issue. Both non-permanent council members are see sanctions as premature, and would like the Security Council to give a chance to a fuel-swap agreement they recently reached with Iran to address international concerns it may be pursuing nuclear weapons.
The final version of the resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, would ban Iran from pursuing "any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons," bar Iranian investment in activities such as uranium mining, and prohibit Iran from buying several categories of heavy weapons including attack helicopters and missiles.
It did not include a list of new individuals and entities — including from Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard — that would be subject to sanctions, including an asset freeze. A council diplomat familiar with the negotiations said that the list, which was agreed to by the five veto-wielding permanent members, had been circulated to the 10 non-permanent members and was being kept open.
After a Security Council meeting behind closed doors late Monday afternoon, which did not resolve the issue, Heller said members would hold closed consultations on Iran again Tuesday morning.
Brazil's UN Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti said her country and Turkey "don't want to be obstructionist," but they do want an open meeting and will "wait and see" if the rest of the council agrees.