OTTAWA – As Canada steps onto the world stage as host of the G8 and G20 summits, the federal government is trying to make waves with the announcement of new sanctions against Iran to discourage its nuclear program.
The move, which follows a decision by the United Nations Security Council earlier this month, aims to limit Iran’s ability to get uranium and other nuclear material as well as nuclear technology.
“These targeted measures are meant to send a strong signal to Iran that the international community expects Iran to meet its international nuclear obligations,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement. “They send a message to all states — particularly those with nuclear aspirations — that international standards cannot be flouted without consequences.”
The nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea will be central to international security discussions when the G8 leaders gather later this week in Muskoka for the annual leader’s summit.
“Canada will continue to use its G-8 Presidency to maintain international focus on Iran’s nuclear program, and we stand ready to implement additional sanctions, as necessary, to promote regional and international peace and security,” Harper said.
The sanctions against Iran were passed on June 9, but the force of the message was lessened when Brazil and Turkey refused to sign on, saying that new sanctions weren’t likely to help solve the conflict. They instead sought a diplomatic solution to the long-running international feud.
Two weeks earlier, the two countries struck a deal to provide Tehran with nuclear fuel, a move that would take away any need for a domestic Iranian uranium enrichment program, which the world fears is bent on producing nuclear weapons.
Iran says the sanctions are illegal because they target a nuclear program that is peaceful and intended only to provide the country with nuclear energy, not weapons.
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