The United Nations Security Council met behind closed doors to discuss a draft resolution on Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons programme on Wednesday as Tehran announced it had successfully enriched uranium to a new level.
Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of Iran’s nuclear industry, said Iran had enriched uranium to 4.8% a month after the President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, revealed scientists had enriched it to 3,6%. Uranium enrichment to much higher levels is essential for a nuclear weapons capability.
Britain and France, backed by the United States, put forward a draft resolution that would make it mandatory for Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment programme. If Iran failed to comply, they could impose sanctions. The 15-member council, as expected, broke up without agreement.
The draft resolution includes a deadline. This would involve Mohamed El- Baradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN watchdog, being asked again by the Security Council to report on whether Iran had suspended its uranium nuclear programme.
Foreign ministers from the US, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China are to meet over dinner in New York on Monday to try to reach consensus. Russia and China are worried the resolution will be used as a fast track to sanctions. They are opposed to sanctions, at least at this stage.
At a meeting with the US and Europeans in Paris on Tuesday, Russia and China said there was nothing in a report from ElBaradei to the Security Council last Friday to justify a move to sanctions.
Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, flew to Washington on Wednesday night for talks today with President George Bush on Iran.
John Bolton, US ambassador to the UN, said on Tuesday that if the Security Council could not agree on a resolution, the US and its European allies could go it alone on sanctions. – Guardian Unlimited Â