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Iran faces tough sanctions as UN Security Council prepares to vote

RIA Novosti

08:20 09/06/2010 MOSCOW, June 9 (RIA Novosti) - The UN Security Council is expected to gather on Wednesday for a vote on a new set of sanctions against Iran, already described by leading diplomats as the most serious ever.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the fourth set of sanctions to be imposed on Iran over its controversial nuclear program will be "the most significant sanctions that Iran has ever faced."

"This is not a resolution comprised of voluntary measures. There are many serious and binding measures in this resolution and we feel pleased with its content - it is strong, it is broad-based and it will have a significant impact on Iran, which is why Iran has worked so hard to try to prevent its adoption," Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said.

The sanctions are reported to ban Iran from buying certain categories of heavy weapons, such as attack helicopters and missiles, prohibit Iranian investment in certain nuclear-related activities and ban any involvement in activities related to the development of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he had no doubts that the resolution expanding sanctions on Iran would be approved by all UN Security Council members.

Unlike the three previous sets of sanctions, which were adopted unanimously, the fourth set of sanctions is likely to divide the 15-nation council. Brazil and Turkey, who recently brokered a uranium exchange deal with Iran, are widely expected to vote against, while Lebanon will probably abstain from the vote.

With 12 expected "yes" votes, including by five permanent Security Council members, the resolution is almost sure to be passed.

"The amount of unity that has been engendered by the international community is very significant," Clinton said.

Iran has threatened to freeze ties with the West if the sanctions are imposed.

"These hasty measures are mere deviation from the path of constructive transaction" and indicate that other parties "prefer confrontation," said Mohammad Khazaee, Iran's ambassador to the U.N.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on Russia on Tuesday to "be careful not to side with the enemies of the Iranian people."

Speaking during the third summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), he also called on U.S. President Barack Obama to change his policies towards Iran.

"Only this can save the U.S. administration from complete political defeat," he warned, adding that "Obama will be the first to suffer the consequences."

International pressure on Iran increased in early February when Tehran announced it had begun enriching uranium to 20% in lieu of an agreement on an exchange that would provide it with fuel for a research reactor.

The discussions on possible sanctions continued despite a May 17 deal between Iranian, Brazilian, and Turkish foreign ministers to swap most of Iran's 3.5%-enriched uranium for 120 kg of 20%-enriched fuel in Turkey for use in Tehran scientific research reactor.