Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

5+1 Group meets to discuss possible additional sanctions on Iran

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

United Nations, New York, March 6, IRNA
Iran-Nuclear-5+1 Group
Representatives of the world's six major powers held a meeting here Tuesday morning to discuss a draft resolution imposing additional sanctions on Iran, with the media still speculating on what these sanctions would actually be.

Five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- China, Russia, Britain, France and the US -- plus Germany met in Britain's mission at the UN.

Sources close to the five permanent members told IRNA that no draft resolution has as yet been adopted, but said that there was agreement on certain elements that needed to be included.

The US and Britain insist that Iran should not be allowed to access technology necessary to complete the nuclear fuel cycle, but Iran insists the right is guanteed by the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Despite the Zionist regime's explicit admission that it possesses atomic weapons, Washington and London continue to block any resolution against the regime in the Security Council while they press for tougher sanctions on Iran.

Based on media speculation, the US and Britain are doing their utmost to pass a new draft resolution that would impose tougher sanctions on Iran than those imposed in UN Security Council Resolution 1737, passed in December.

These include a ban on the sale of nuclear and ballistic missile-related materials to Iran and a freeze on financial assets of Iranians involved in its nuclear programs as well as a ban on travel by these officials.

The draft resolution could also impose more pressure on countries not to give guarantees to their domestic companies with export and import ties with Iranian firms.

Washington and London, which are most insistent on having this resolution passed by the UN Security Council this week, ignore Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei's latest report confirming no evidence has been found of any Iranian deviation in its peaceful nuclear activities.

Again, in Monday's session of the IAEA Board of Governors, ElBaradei reiterated that his agency has not been able to verify Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons and that he believed "negotiation remains the key to solving the crisis."

Iran has time and again said it is ready to hold negotiations to defend its right as well as remove ambiguities regarding its nuclear program.

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