World powers will receive a ”serious response” from Iran if they adopt a new United Nations resolution imposing more sanctions over its atomic drive, top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani warned on Wednesday.
”If they go ahead in an extreme manner and issue a resolution, they will receive a serious answer and the conditions will change,” Larijani was quoted as saying by the state-run INRA agency.
”Issuing a resolution will affect many things,” he said, without elaborating.
Ambassadors from the UN Security Council’s five permanent members plus Germany are mulling new sanctions on Iran over its refusal to suspend uranium-enrichment operations, which they fear could be diverted to make a nuclear weapon.
Diplomats said the world powers hope to present a text to the full 15-member council in the next few days, although they are unlikely to agree on a draft resolution this week.
”In reality, there are two paths in front of us and them. One path is that we should follow this matter through realistic and not artificial negotiations. We prefer this first path,” said Larijani.
The Security Council already agreed a sanctions resolution in December that targeted Iran’s nuclear programme and ballistics industry. The new proposed resolution would also include new financial and trade restrictions.
Iran vehemently denies it is seeking a nuclear-weapons capability and insists it has a right under the Non-Proliferation Treaty to conduct uranium enrichment for electricity generation. — AFP
