The U.N. Security Council reaffirmed existing sanctions against Iran but did not expand them. The resolution, adopted unanimously Saturday, called on “Iran to comply fully and without delay” with three earlier resolutions imposing sanctions until Iran cooperates fully with U.N. nuclear inspectors. Sanctions passed over the past year-and-a-half ban most types of uranium enrichment dealings with Iran, freeze some Iranian assets overseas, ban travel by Iranian individuals suspected of involvement in Iran’s alleged nuclear program, monitor Iran’s financial institutions and impose inspections of Iranian cargo. Israel and Western nations want to expand the sanctions to include actual bans on financial institutions and the export of refined petroleum to Iran. That won’t happen without the support of China and Russia, two of the five permanent, veto-wielding members of the Security Council. The failure to tighten the sanctions Saturday is a product in part of recent U.S.-Russia tensions stemming from Russia’s invasion last month of Georgia. Israel commended the resolution. “Today’s U.N. Security Council resolution re-emphasizes the severity of the threat emanating from Iran’s nuclear program to world peace and reiterates the urgency of applying drastic and effective international sanctions,” said a statement issued by Sallai Meridor, the Israeli envoy to Washington.
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