Russian support for sanctions "not acceptable": Iran

[SpArK]

Russian support for sanctions "not acceptable": Iran

(Reuters) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday Russia's support for new U.N. sanctions against Iran was unacceptable and called on President Dmitry Medvedev to rethink his support for the U.S.-led move.



Iran was snubbed by Russia and China last week when, just hours after it offered to ship some of its enriched uranium abroad, Washington announced that all five members of the U.N. Security Council backed a new sanctions draft.

In an unusually strong criticism of the Russian government, Ahmadinejad used a televised outdoor speech to directly address Medvedev who, he said, had bowed to U.S. pressure to support the squeeze on Iran over its nuclear program.

"If I were the Russian president, when making decisions about subjects related to a great nation (Iran) ... I would act more cautiously, I would think more," Ahmadinejad said.

"The Iranian nation doesn't know: are they (the Russians) our friends and neighbors? Are they with us or are they looking for something else?"

He said Russia should not support countries which had "shown animosity to us for 30 years," referring to the United States, which has led the global push for new sanctions.

"This is not acceptable for the Iranian nation. I hope they (Russia) will pay attention and take corrective action," he said.

"I am hopeful that Russian leaders and authorities will pay attention to these friendly words and take corrective action and not let the Iranian nation consider them among the ranks of its historic enemies."

 

[SpArK]

Big powers agree on draft Iran sanctions, US says

Washington, DC: Major powers, including China and Russia, have agreed on a new United Nations (UN) sanctions resolution against Iran over its nuclear programme, the United States said on Tuesday.

The announcement was a tacit rebuff to a deal brokered by Brazil and Turkey and made public on Monday in which Iran agreed to send some uranium abroad. US officials regard that deal as a maneuver by Iran to delay more UN sanctions.

"This announcement is as convincing an answer to the efforts undertaken in Tehran in the last few days as any that we could provide," Clinton added, repeating that Washington has many questions about the fuel swap deal.

The deal had revived the idea of a nuclear fuel swap devised by the United Nations last year with the aim of keeping Tehran's nuclear activities in check.

But Tehran made clear it did not intend to suspend domestic uranium enrichment that Western governments have said appears aimed at giving it the means to make nuclear weapons.

Western nations have reacted skeptically to the deal, although China -- the major power most reluctant to impose more sanctions on Iran -- welcomed it and urged talks with Tehran.

Clinton told lawmakers in Washington: "We have reached agreement on a strong draft with the cooperation of both Russia and China." She gave no details of the draft, but said it would be circulated to the full Security Council later on Tuesday.

She said the agreement was reached among the five permanent Security Council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- and Germany, which have been engaged in talks on ways to address any nuclear threat from Tehran.

The Security Council will hold a closed-door session on Tuesday afternoon to receive the draft, diplomats said, and the United States is looking to get the maximum backing in the 15-member council.

In a sign of the difficulties Washington faces, the foreign minister of non-permanent council member Turkey told Reuters in Istanbul that it was not the time to be discussing sanctions.

"Everybody should understand... that yesterday Iran showed great flexibility which was not expected before, and this flexibility is an opportunity for a new phase of diplomacy," the minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, said in an interview.

Council members Turkey, Brazil and Lebanon have made clear they would have trouble supporting sanctions against Iran.

Washington and its European allies say they will work hard to convince Turkey and Brazil to back the resolution.

Lebanon, diplomats say, will likely abstain from a vote on the resolution because the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah is in the government.

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.

Western powers have said the fuel swap offer will not be enough to ease their worries and Israel, which regards Iranian nuclear capability as a direct threat, dismissed it.

Iran said it had agreed to transfer 1,200kg (2,646 lb) of its low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Turkey within a month and in return receive, within a year, 120kg of 20%-enriched uranium for use in a medical research reactor.

Clinton said the deal did not commit Iran to suspend uranium enrichment and could lead to months of negotiations before Iran turned over any of its low enriched uranium. She suggested that it was a ploy to stave off UN sanctions.

"The fact that we had Russia on board, we had China on board, and that we were moving early this week, namely today, to share the text of that resolution, put pressure on Iran which they were trying to somehow dissipate," Clinton added.

However, Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi said he was encouraged by the fuel swap deal. His reaction suggested that world powers discussing possible new UN sanctions against Iran may part ways on how much weight to give Iran's offer.

"China ... expresses its welcome and appreciation for the diplomatic efforts all parties have made to positively seek an appropriate solution to the Iranian nuclear issue," Yang said, according to the foreign ministry website (http://www.fmprc.gov.cn).

China's stance appeared more in line with Moscow's position that although many questions remained, including whether Iran intended to continue enriching uranium, further consultations were appropriate.

"After this, we need to decide what to do: Are those proposals sufficient or is something else needed? So I think a small pause on this problem would not do any harm," Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday.

 

[applesauce]

lol, well iran has claimed that it is the strongest country on earth, maybe their trying to scared russia?

 

[gowthamraj]

Mmm russia always finally become good boy to usa.







Two months Before only russia said any action on iran by usa led to third world war.

 

[Realist]

Mmm russia always finally become good boy to usa.

Two months Before only russia said any action on iran by usa led to third world war.

Source for this quote?

Iran doesn't really have a choice, when the whole world conspires against it like it has.

They only thing they can do is become more self sufficient in many areas, like their defence industry like they are trying.

We Pakistanis could use this to improve our relations with them, help out a brother in time of need, but I think we'd rather get more freebies than do the right thing.

In my opinion, it is crazy that we don't have closer ties with Iran. The only other Muslim country in the world that has any pull. Religious divides are stupid.