UN Security Council to vote on tougher Iran sanctions

The UN Security Council is set to vote on Wednesday on a fourth round of sanctions against Tehran, which remains defiant over its nuclear programme. After months of intense negotiations, the UN text stipulates a strengthening of sanctions already adopted in the three previous resolutions.

IRAN International sanctions and Iran

A strengthening of existing sanctions

The current partial ban on arms sales to Iran will be expanded. Eight new categories of heavy weapons, including tanks, attack helicopters and heavy-calibre artillery systems, will be banned. While the sale of lighter weapons will still be authorised, the Security Council will urge vendors to do so with “vigilance” and “restraint”.

In relation to maritime activity, the proposed resolution extends to high seas the inspection of suspicious cargos travelling to and from Iran. The text calls upon all states to inspect suspicious ships, though stopping short of making controls systematic or mandatory.

The sanctions regime also extends penalties to some 40 Iranian individuals and entities that are part of the government or linked to its nuclear activities. For example, the head of the Iranian Nuclear Technology Centre of Isfahan will join the list of Iranians who have their international assets frozen and are forbidden from travelling abroad.

Significant concessions from the West

The fact that the new sanctions are mostly a tougher version of existing ones reflects continuing disagreements at the heart of the Security Council. Although experts expect a broad majority of members to vote in favour of the resolution, the text forged between the five permanent members (Russia, China, USA, Britain and France) is once again the result of significant concessions by the West.

Always cautious of sanctions deemed too restrictive, China and Russia once more succeeded in watering down the penalties. Even so, the USA has welcomed their support of some harder language. During a diplomatic visit to Ecuador, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was pleased and confident these would be "the most significant sanctions that Iran has ever faced". Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, said the measures would have a “significant impact” on the Iranian regime.

Among the non-permanent members of the Security Council, at least three countries are expected to vote against the resolution, or at best abstain. Turkey and Brazil have said they do not support the new resolution. The two brokered a nuclear agreement with Tehran in May that was dismissed by world powers. Lebanon, where Islamist Hezbollah holds a significant measure of influence, is expected to abstain from voting.