Tougher sanctions

Meetings between world powers on Tuesday produced agreement on tougher sanctions against Iran, with a draft resolution to be circulated to the UN Security Council, according to US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"We have reached agreement on a strong draft with the cooperation of both Russia and China," Clinton said while testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, adding that the resolution would be "circulated to the entire Security Council" by the end of the day.

The draft resolution comes after weeks of negotiations between the five permanent members of the council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - plus Germany, who were exploring ways to pressure Iran to disclose the full range of its nuclear activities.

Higher 'cost of defiance'

Among the proposed sanctions in the draft resolution are measures that target Iran's banking system, cargo shipping and arms imports. Nuclear activity abroad would be banned for Iran, and there would be an increase of cargo inspections for ships suspected of containing arms of parts for nuclear missiles. Iranian banks operating abroad would also be prohibited if they were suspected of being associated with Iran's nuclear program.

Susan Rice, the US Ambassador to the UN, said the proposed sanctions are similar to ones passed in 2006 but would have more "teeth."

Rice said the measures would "increase the cost to Iran's leadership for its continued defiance, and to persuade Iran that it is in its interests to peacefully resolve concerns over its nuclear program," adding that the door would still be open for a diplomatic solution.

Patience has run out

The completion of the sanctions proposal came one day after Iran announced it had agreed to a deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil under which Iran would ship its enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for nuclear material for a research reactor.

The deal was similar to one offered on October 1 by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that was backed by the five powers. But the Security Council's permanent members had grown impatient with Iran's slow response to the uranium exchange deal and decided to proceed with sanctions.

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.

mz/glb/AP/AFP
Editor: Nicole Goebel