Washington – The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Saturday to impose sanctions on Iran aimed at slowing its nuclear program.
The sanctions, intended to force Iran to cease enriching uranium, stopped short of allowing the U.S. to take military action to enforce them, however.
“We do not wish to see new turbulence in the Middle East,” said Wang Guangya, China’s U.N. ambassador. Envoys from Russia, France and Argentina made similar comments.
American officials, who have accused Iran of using its civilian nuclear program to try to develop nuclear weapons, hailed the resolution’s passage.
In Tehran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the resolution “will not be an obstacle in the way of Iran’s nuclear progress.” Calling the measure “invalid” and “illegal,” the ministry said Iran would continue to enrich uranium at its nuclear facility in Natanz.
Uranium enrichment is necessary to increase its potency and can be used to produce both fuel for a nuclear reactor and material for an atomic bomb.
The U.N. measure freezes the foreign assets of 12 named Iranian individuals and 11 Iranian firms believed to be tied to Iran’s nuclear program, while barring the individuals’ travel abroad.
