UN: The UN Security Council has approved a resolution demanding that Iran suspend its enrichment and reprocessing of nuclear fuel by August 31st or face the threat of economic and diplomatic sanctions.
But yesterday Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rejected the resolution, insisting Tehran would pursue its nuclear programme. "My words are the words of the Iranian nation. Throughout Iran, there is one slogan: 'The Iranian nation considers the peaceful use of nuclear fuel production technology its right,'" Mr Ahmadinejad said.
The UN resolution, passed by 14 votes to one on Monday, marks the first time that the international body has legally required Iran to halt its enrichment of uranium. The resolution increases pressure on Tehran to begin negotiations with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US aimed at addressing international concerns that it might be developing nuclear weapons.
Only Qatar, which represents Arab views on the council, voted against the resolution.
US policymakers suggested privately that the main advantage of the resolution was to "put the focus back on Iran", as one official said. "The fighting in Lebanon had taken pressure off Iran's nuclear programme, and they were benefiting," he added.
Iran's UN ambassador Javad Zarif told the council after the vote that there was no legal basis for its "destructive and totally unwarranted" resolution.
Iran maintains it has the right, under the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to enrich and reprocess uranium to fuel a nuclear energy programme. Iranian officials have said that they are willing to engage in talks but need until August 22nd to prepare a formal response for the global powers.