The United Nation Security Council has once again managed to implement the foreign policies of individual countries as its own. On Monday, the UN Security Council voted for new sanctions against Iran for refusing to suspend its nuclear enrichment program. The new resolution called for more restriction on movements and financial curbs on 13 Iranian individuals and 12 companies suspected of aiding Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. It has also expanded ban on trade in items and technology with both civilian and military uses. The resolution also called for increased vigilance over Iranian financial institutions, especially its two banks – Bank Melli and Bank Saderat.
The question that now arises is whether the current sanctions against Iran were necessary especially after an US intelligence report last year that said Iran has halted its nuclear weapon program in 2003 and is unlikely to produce enough enriched uranium for a bomb until 2010 to 2015. The latest National Intelligence Estimate was less severe than a 2005 report that said that the Iranian leadership was determined to develop nuclear weapons despite its international obligation and international pressure. Enriched uranium of low concentration can be used to fuel nuclear power plants but much higher concentrations are required to build a nuclear bomb. Iran has always insisted that its nuclear program is strictly aimed at producing electricity. The International Atomic Energy Agency has reported that Iran was cooperating with its inspectors by providing access to declared nuclear materials, documents and facilities. However, at the same time the agency is apprehensive of Iran holding back some critical information.
The current US policy in which it has found able allies among the EU members is seen as a retaliatory measure against Iran who USA has blamed of having meddled in the Iraqi war. USA has accused the Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran for supporting Islamic terrorists quite overlooking the fact that the Al-Qaeda and the chunk of the Islamic terrorists are Sunnis who are ideologically opposed to Iran’s Shiite faith.
