UN divided on Iran sanctions
The UN Security Council is deeply split over imposing more sanctions on Iran because of the country’s controversial ballistic missile and nuclear program. According to Australia's UN Ambassador, Gary Quinlan, who chairs the committee monitoring sanctions on Iran, many committee members agreed that Iran’s actions constituted a clear violation of UN sanctions when it launched ballistic missiles a year ago, therefore member states should redouble efforts to implement ballistic missile-related sanctions on Iran.
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| Iran launches its ballistic missile, Persian Gulf, during a war-game. (Photo: Reuters) |
The proposal was protested by several members, including Russia. The Russian representative spoke to the UN Security Council, saying that its conclusions were too hasty when announcing that Iran’s missile launch constituted a breach. Russia’s view was backed by China which insists on no more mounting of tensions over the issue of Iran.