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Analysis: Facing Off with Iran at the UN

Council on Foreign Relations

September 20, 2007
Prepared by: Robert McMahon

It is five years since President Bush came to the United Nations to warn of the “grave and gathering danger” posed by Saddam Hussein. The ensuing U.S. invasion of Iraq set off a debate that continues to this day over U.S. leadership and the organization’s role in global security. Now Bush takes the UN General Assembly podium with Washington stepping up warnings about another Middle Eastern threat—Iran. His chances for strengthening an international coalition appear at least as uncertain (CSMonitor) as they were prior to the Iraq war. Scheduled speeches by Bush and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on September 25 come amid planned high-level diplomacy among the five permanent UN Security Council members over whether to expand sanctions a third time for Iran’s refusal to suspend its uranium-enrichment program.

The Bush administration and many of its Western allies worry Iran is intent on building nuclear weapons, though Tehran insists it is exercising its right to peaceful nuclear power. While UN sanctions have so far been more symbolic than effective, Washington has ratcheted up other efforts to pressure the regime economically, with Treasury Department pressure on allies to tighten financial dealings (McClatchy) with Iran showing progress. A new wrinkle in the debate is the tougher stance adopted by France. The Economist describes French President Nicolas Sarkozy as “palpably impatient” about the lack of progress on new UN sanctions against Iran. His foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, made waves in mid-September by suggesting a military attack on Iran was possible, before stressing his focus was on a diplomatic offensive (FT).

Echoing the UN debate on Iraq, Russia and China have signaled they do not support tougher sanctions at this time.

Read the rest of this article on the cfr.org website.

Copyright 2007 by the Council on Foreign Relations. This material is republished on GlobalSecurity.org with specific permission from the cfr.org. Reprint and republication queries for this article should be directed to cfr.org.