Major powers agree on draft Iran sanctions


By Arshad Mohammed and Chris Buckley
Reuters
Tue May 18, 2010


WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - Major powers including China and Russia have agreed on a draft sanctions resolution against Iran over its nuclear program and will share it with the full U.N. Security Council on Tuesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.

The announcement appeared an implicit rebuff to a nuclear fuel swap deal that Brazil and Turkey worked out with Iran, although China -- the major power most reluctant to sanction Iran -- welcomed that deal and urged more talks with Tehran.

"We have reached agreement on a strong draft with the cooperation of both Russia and China," Clinton told U.S. lawmakers. "We plan to circulate that draft resolution to the entire Security Council today."

Clinton said the agreement was reached among the five permanent Security Council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- as well as Germany.

The United States and its Western allies accuse Iran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover under which to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies this, saying its nuclear program is solely to generate electricity.

Iran agreed on Monday to send some of its uranium abroad, reviving a fuel swap plan drafted by the United Nations with the aim of keeping Tehran's nuclear activities in check.

But Tehran made clear it did not intend to suspend domestic uranium enrichment that Western governments have said appears aimed at giving it the means to make nuclear weapons.

Western powers have said the fuel swap offer promoted by Brazil and Turkey will not be enough to ease their worries and Israel, which regards Iranian nuclear capability as a direct threat, dismissed it.

The Security Council will hold a closed-door session on Tuesday afternoon to receive the draft, diplomats said.

The United States and its Western allies accuse Iran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover under which to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies this, saying its nuclear program is solely to generate electricity.

Western powers have said the fuel swap offer promoted by Brazil and Turkey will not be enough to ease their worries and Israel, which regards Iranian nuclear capability as a direct threat, dismissed it.

Iran said it had agreed to transfer 1,200 kg (2,646 lb) of its low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Turkey within a month and in return receive, within a year, 120 kg of 20 percent-enriched uranium for use in a medical research reactor.

Clinton said the deal did not commit Iran to suspend uranium enrichment and could lead to months of negotiations before Iran turned over any of its low enriched uranium. She suggested that it was a ploy to stave off sanctions.

"We don't believe it was any accident that Iran agreed to this declaration as we were preparing to move forward in New York," Clinton said, referring to moves toward a sanctions resolution.

"The fact that we had Russia on board, we had China on board, and that we were moving early this week, namely today, to share the text of that resolution, put pressure on Iran which they were trying to somehow dissipate," she added.

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