THE United Nations Security Council on Wednesday voted to adopt a U.S.-drafted sanctions resolution against Iran as global concerns about its nuclear program loom.
The 15-member United Nations Security Council voted 12-2 to adopt the sanctions resolution against the Islamic regime.
Turkey and Brazil voted against the plan, while Lebanon abstained. Twelve votes were needed to secure its endorsement.
The resolution, co-sponsored by Britain and France with the backing of Russia and China, would expand an arms embargo, target Iran’s banking sector and ban the country from sensitive activities like uranium mining.
It would also authorise states to conduct high-sea inspections of vessels believed to be ferrying banned items for Iran and add 40 entities to a list of people and groups subject to travel restrictions and financial sanctions.
The resolution passed after the vote was delayed as Turkey and Brazil awaited guidance from their countries on how to vote.
Turkey and Brazil brokered a deal last month that would require Iran to ship 1,200 kilograms of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for high-enriched uranium fuel for a Tehran research reactor that would be supplied later by Russia and France.
Tehran warned earlier this week that it would break off negotiations with major powers if the latest sanctions were adopted.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the sanctions “the most significant that Iran has ever faced.”
The Security Council has already passed three rounds of sanctions on Iran since December 2006. The last was adopted on March 3, 2008.
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