JURIST - Paper Chase: BREAKING NEWS ~ UN Security Council adopts weakened Iran resolution

[JURIST] The UN Security Council [official website] Monday passed a resolution giving Iran [JURIST news archive] until August 31 to halt uranium enrichment and threatening sanctions if it does not comply. Resolution 1696 [text], adopted 14-1 with Qatar voting against, nonetheless requires additional Security Council discussion before sanctions can actually be imposed. Russia and China pressed for the additional flexibility. AP has more.

An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Sunday that Iran would stop considering international incentives [JURIST report] to end its uranium enrichment program if the UN Security Council passed a resolution sanctioning the country. Iran's Permanent Mission to the UN [official website] offers a comprehensive backgrounder [PDF] on the country's nuclear program and international effeorts to limit it. Updated talking points are also available from the Mission.

12:20 PM ET - Iran's UN Ambassador immediately rejected the resolution, telling the Security Council that "Iran's peaceful nuclear program poses no threat to international peace and security and therefore dealing with this issue in the Security Council is unwarranted and void of any legal basis or practical utility." Javad Zarif objected to having been allowed to make a statement only after the vote had been taken, and not in advance. Reuters has more.

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