U.N. Security Council Passes Fourth Round of Sanctions on Iran
The U.N. Security Council passed a fresh set of sanctions on Wednesday with a 12-2 vote. The sanctions will take aim at the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' military purchases, trade and financial transactions related to Iran's nuclear program. President Obama and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice called the new sanctions the toughest Iran has faced yet.
The Security Council's overwhelming consensus, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton argued, is a major accomplishment. She said, "When we started this effort, there was no appetite in the international community for further pressure in the form of sanctions." President Obama said that the 12-2 vote "sends an unmistakable message about the international community’s commitment to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons."
Many Ploughshares Fund grantees have been called on to comment in news stories over the past 24 hours:
U.N. Approves New Sanctions to Deter Iran - The New York Times [link]
- Ray Takeyh of the Council on Foreign Relations said, "Nobody is suggesting that these sanctions are not going to have an impact. The question is whether they will put sufficient pressure on Iran to come back to the negotiating table in a more earnest and a more compromising mood."
U.N. imposes another round of sanctions on Iran - The Washington Post [link]
- David Albright of the Institute for Science and Security said the passage of the resolution represented an "important victory for the United States," in part because it strengthens the United States' negotiating position.
Can UN's latest Iran sanctions be a game-changer? - Christian Science Monitor [link]
- Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association said, "Is this going to change Iran’s behavior? In the short term, no. But what the resolution has the potential to do, especially given the Russian and Chinese votes [in favor], is change the calculations in Tehran over the value of pursuing their nuclear program in the manner they’ve chosen."
