The UN Security Council will wait to take action on possible
Iranian sanctions until a scheduled meeting next week between EU
foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Tehran's main negotiator Ali
Larijani, the US ambassador to the UN said Thursday.
"We intend to let this meeting between Solana and Larijani take
place next week, and then we will be consulting in United Nations
and in capitals about where to go from there," John Bolton told
reporters after a council vote on a resolution on Sudan's
Darfur.
He made the remarks shortly after the Security Council received
a report from Director-General Mohammed ElBaradei of the
International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran's compliance with
council resolution 1696 that requires it suspends nuclear
enrichment by August 31.
The UN nuclear watchdog reported that Iran has continued
enriching uranium despite a UN nuclear deadline for it to suspend
or face possible sanctions.
The report "provides ample evidence of (Iranian) defiance," said
Bolton, adding that the council must begin drawing up
sanctions.
"There's simply no explanation for the range of Iranian behavior
which we've seen over the years other than that they're pursuing a
weapons capability," he said.
(Xinhua News Agnecy September 1, 2006)
