WASHINGTON, May 18 (UPI) -- The United States, Russia and China agreed on a draft resolution to impose sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.
"We plan to circulate that draft resolution to the entire Security Council today," Clinton said in her opening remarks before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a hearing on the new U.S.-Russia strategic arms reduction treaty. "I think this announcement is as convincing an answer to the efforts undertaken in Tehran over the last few days as any we could provide."
Despite trilateral talks among Brazil, Turkey and Iran resulting in an agreement under which Iran would ship low-enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for uranium enriched at a higher level, Clinton said the United States and its partners negotiating with Iran "are proceeding to rally the international community on behalf of a strong sanctions resolution that will, in our view, send an unmistakable message about what is expected from Iran."
In response to Iran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment and the discovery last year of a secret new uranium-enrichment facility near Qom, U.S. officials proposed stiffening existing sanctions. Iran repeatedly said its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said in Washington Monday his country established "red lines" in the negotiations but was open to barring sale of what he called "heavy weapons systems" to Iran, the Post reported.
Turkey and Brazil, currently filling rotating seats on the U.N. Security Council, have expressed opposition to new U.N. sanctions on Iran. Lebanon also indicated it would not support a sanctions resolution against Iran, which has provided military and political support to Hezbollah. Lebanon sits in the rotating Security Council presidency this month, which observers said may mean the resolution won't be considered until June.
