The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog reported to the U.N. Security Council in a resolution expressing concern that 's nuclear program may not be "exclusively for peaceful purposes."
This long overdue action could eventually lead to sanctions to , but not, according to the BBC, until a new report is delivered by Mohammad El Baradei at the next IAEA meeting on 6 March.
Russia and China agreed to support the resolution on condition it did not contain any immediate threat of sanctions against .
Twenty-seven nations supported the resolution. Cuba and Venezuela joined "axis of evil" member Syria as the only nations to vote the referral. Algeria, Belarus, Indonesia, Libya and South Africa all abstained.
According to the Associated Press, the resolution refers to 's breaches of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and lack of confidence that it is not trying to make weapons.
The resolution calls on to:
·Re-establish a freeze on uranium enrichment and related activities.
·Consider whether to stop construction of a heavy water reactor that could be the source of plutonium for weapons.
·Formally ratify an agreement allowing the IAEA greater inspecting authority and continue honoring the agreement before it is ratified.
·Give the IAEA additional power in its investigation of 's nuclear program, including "access to individuals" for interviews, as well as to documentation on its black-market nuclear purchases, equipment that could be used for nuclear and non-nuclear purposes and "certain military-owned workshops" where nuclear activities might be going on.
The deputy head of 's Security Council, said his country would "immediately" retaliate:
He said that after approval by the ian council, would stop honoring an agreement with the IAEA allowing its inspectors broad powers to monitor and probe Tehran's nuclear activities and would start work on full-scale uranium enrichment — an activity that can produce the fissile core of nuclear warheads.
[. . .]
Vaeidi on Friday said referral would mean his country would no longer consider an internationally supported plan to move his country's enrichment to Russia as a way of depriving direct access to the technology. On Saturday, however, he said his country was still considering a response to the Russian plan.
I am very pleased to see that this has finally gotten to the U.N. Security Council, but I fear we will eventually regret agreeing to Egypt's demand that the resolution include support for the creation of a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East. linking the issues of 's atomic ambitions and Israel's nuclear weapons status will make preventing 's acquisition of nuclear weapons even more difficult.
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