Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

UN Passes New Iran Sanctions Resolution

March 24, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution authorizing expanded sanctions against Iran for its failure to halt uranium enrichment.

"The result of the voting is as follows: the draft resolution received 15 votes in favor," South African UN Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo, who is the current president of the Security Council, announced. "The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as Resolution 1747 of 2007."

MORE: Coverage in Persian from Radio Farda.The new sanctions ban Iranian arms exports and freeze the international assets of 28 officials and institutions linked to Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

The resolution gives Tehran 60 more days to comply with UN demands or face what the measure calls "further appropriate measures" under Article 41 of the UN Charter. That would include further economic sanctions, but not military force.

Iran has consistently rejected charges that it is seeking to develop atomic weapons, saying its nuclear program is intended only to generate electricity.

Today's resolution broadens sanctions imposed on December 23 that banned trade in sensitive nuclear and missile technology. Those sanctions also froze the assets of officials linked to Iran's atomic programs.

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad had been expected to address the Security Council today. But he canceled the trip to New York at the last minute.

The United States has rejected Iranian allegations that it failed to issue visas early enough to allow Ahmadinejad to make the trip.

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