"This is your last last-chance!" What a joke.
BBC
Tehran faces UN nuclear deadline
Iran says its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council have agreed on a draft resolution giving Iran until 31 August to suspend uranium enrichment.
The draft was circulated to the full 15 members of the Council and could be voted on as early as Monday.
The US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, said the Council would consider sanctions against Iran if it did not comply with the deadline.
But Russia's envoy Vitaly Churkin said the draft did not threaten sanctions.
Mr Churkin said it would encourage Iran to resume dialogue.
The draft does not mention sanctions, but is a clear signal to Iran that it is facing its last best chance to gain international approval for its nuclear ambitions, the BBC's Daniel Lak at the UN says.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and is designed to meet its energy needs only, but the US and other Western nations fear Iran may develop nuclear weapons.
'Appropriate measures'
The draft resolution was negotiated over the past two weeks by the five permanent Council members - Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States - and also Germany.
It urges Tehran to "suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development", as demanded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
It says the Council would consider adopting "appropriate measures" under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter if Iran does not comply with the deadline.
Mr Bolton said that the draft imposed a "mandatory requirement" on Iran.
If Tehran did not comply, Mr Bolton said, "we will move to sanctions in the Security Council".
Mr Churkin took a different view, saying the text did not threaten sanctions, and that further measures would be discussed if Iran failed to comply.
The draft is a follow-up to a 12 July agreement by the five veto-wielding nations and Germany to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for failing to respond to a package of incentives to suspend enrichment.
The Council hopes this latest resolution will send a signal that time is running out for Iran to accept what the US, Russian and others describe as a generous offer, our correspondent says. |
