UN 'to discuss Iran santions next week'

The UN Security Council will start discussing a resolution next week that would impose sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment, Britain’s UN ambassador said today.

The council’s decision to take up a sanctions resolution follows lengthy negotiations between European and Iranian negotiators which failed to convince Tehran to suspend its enrichment program during negotiations on its nuclear programme.

“I expect the Iranian dossier to re-emerge in New York in the course of next week,” Britain’s UN Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said.

Britain “will be discussing with its partners and with members of the council the basis for action by the council to adopt measures under Article 41 against Iran,” he said.

Article 41 authorises the Security Council to impose non-military sanctions such as completely or partially severing diplomatic and economic relations, transportation and communications links.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned Wednesday that sanctions will not stop Iran from enriching uranium after European foreign policy chief Javier Solana conceded that “endless hours” of talks with top Iranian negotiator Ali Larijani had made little progress.