Paris – The United States is working with European allies to craft a binding U.N. resolution demanding that Iran immediately stop nuclear-related activities, and will push for tough economic and diplomatic sanctions if it refuses to do so, a senior U.S. official said Tuesday.
The statement from Nicholas Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs, came as Iranian officials claimed that they had recently boosted the purity of their uranium enrichment from 3.6 percent to 4.8 percent, that they had found three new uranium deposits in central Iran and that they would retaliate against Israel if attacked by the United States.
Burns spoke after a closed meeting in Paris with senior diplomats from the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council – Russia, China, France and Britain – plus Germany.
There was no immediate comment after the session from the Russian and Chinese representatives. In numerous previous meetings about Iran, U.S. and Western European officials have failed to persuade the two countries to support sanctions, which they contend would be counterproductive.
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, argued Tuesday that if the Security Council does not approve sanctions, the United States might line up its own coalition of countries.
“If we were faced with a veto by one of the permanent members, if for whatever reason the council couldn’t fulfill its responsibilities, then … I’m sure we would press ahead to ask other countries or other groups of countries to impose those sanctions,” Bolton told a House subcommittee on national security, at a hearing in Washington.
According to Burns, steps under discussion include a ban on weapons sales to Iran, a prohibition on transferring nuclear technology to Iran that could be used for peaceful or military purposes, and a ban on other commercial activities that could benefit Iran’s nuclear program.
Officials are also discussing restricting international travel by senior Iranian officials.
