UN Security Council gives Iran nuclear deadline

THE UN Security Council passed a weakened resolution yesterday giving Iran until August 31 to suspend uranium enrichment or face the threat of economic and diplomatic sanctions.

Iran immediately rejected the council action, saying it would only make negotiations more difficult concerning a package of incentives offered in June for it to suspend enrichment.

“All along it has been the persistence of some to draw arbitrary red lines and deadlines that has closed the door to any compromise,” said Iran’s UN Ambassador Javad Zarif. “This tendency has single-handedly blocked success and in most cases killed proposals in their infancy.