"Iran has now joined the exclusive club of countries under Security Council sanctions," Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Gillerman said. Although the sanctions were eased at the last moment in order to ensure that all Security Council members, including Russia, would vote for them, Gillerman called the decision "historic.”
"This could change the rules of the game," he said. "Now Iran will realize that it is in its interest to behave differently. However, the real test of these sanctions will be in their implementation and ensuring that they are not violated."
“Some will say that these sanctions are not tough enough, but what is significant is that they were approved unanimously, not only by the U.S. and France, but also by Russia, China and Qatar," Gillerman said. Russia and China had initially opposed any sanctions on Iran at all.
The Security Council resolution requires all UN member countries to ban the supply of specific materials and technology to Iran that could contribute to its nuclear and missile programs. The resolution also imposes an asset freeze on key companies and individuals in Iran's nuclear and missile programs.
Iran is a major trade client for both China and Russia, with the latter currently building a nuclear power plant in the Islamic Republic.
The resolution also warns Iran that the council will adopt further non-military sanctions if Tehran refuses to comply with the sanctions.
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement praising the decision, calling it an "important step," but noted that the struggle to contain Iran’s race toward nuclear development was far from over. "The international community will need to continue to show determination to reach the goal of blocking Iran's nuclear plan," it said.
Mofaz Less Accepting
Transportation Minister Sha'ul Mofaz, a former Defense Minister, was more critical. "The international community is not doing enough to vis-a-vis the Iranian threat," Mofaz said. "This UN decision is too soft, too little, and too late. The world should know that with this move, it will not succeed in stopping Iran's nuclearization."
Mofaz said that Israel had proposed sanctions that would be able to stop Iran's drive to obtain nuclear weapons.
Iran's Reaction
Reacting to the sanctions, Iran accused the Security Council of hypocrisy by attacking its "peaceful" nuclear program, while ignoring Israel's nuclear weapons program.
"It is indisputable that nuclear weapons in the hands of the Israeli regime with an unparalleled record of noncompliance with Security Council resolutions ... poses a uniquely grave threat to regional and international peace and security," Iranian UN Ambassador Jawad Zarif told the Security Council prior to the vote.
"The same governments which have pushed this council to take groundless punitive measures against Iran's peaceful nuclear program have systematically prevented it from taking any action to nudge the Israeli regime towards submitting itself to the rules governing the nuclear nonproliferation regime," Zarif said.
Iran was not cowed by the UN resolution. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the Security Council would regret voting in favor of the sanctions, and added that the West had lost "the opportunity for friendship with the nation of Iran. You yourself [the West] know that you cannot damage the nation of Iran an iota," the state-run news agency, IRNA, quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.
"This could change the rules of the game," he said. "Now Iran will realize that it is in its interest to behave differently. However, the real test of these sanctions will be in their implementation and ensuring that they are not violated."
“Some will say that these sanctions are not tough enough, but what is significant is that they were approved unanimously, not only by the U.S. and France, but also by Russia, China and Qatar," Gillerman said. Russia and China had initially opposed any sanctions on Iran at all.
The Security Council resolution requires all UN member countries to ban the supply of specific materials and technology to Iran that could contribute to its nuclear and missile programs. The resolution also imposes an asset freeze on key companies and individuals in Iran's nuclear and missile programs.
Iran is a major trade client for both China and Russia, with the latter currently building a nuclear power plant in the Islamic Republic.
The resolution also warns Iran that the council will adopt further non-military sanctions if Tehran refuses to comply with the sanctions.
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement praising the decision, calling it an "important step," but noted that the struggle to contain Iran’s race toward nuclear development was far from over. "The international community will need to continue to show determination to reach the goal of blocking Iran's nuclear plan," it said.
Mofaz Less Accepting
Transportation Minister Sha'ul Mofaz, a former Defense Minister, was more critical. "The international community is not doing enough to vis-a-vis the Iranian threat," Mofaz said. "This UN decision is too soft, too little, and too late. The world should know that with this move, it will not succeed in stopping Iran's nuclearization."
Mofaz said that Israel had proposed sanctions that would be able to stop Iran's drive to obtain nuclear weapons.
Iran's Reaction
Reacting to the sanctions, Iran accused the Security Council of hypocrisy by attacking its "peaceful" nuclear program, while ignoring Israel's nuclear weapons program.
"It is indisputable that nuclear weapons in the hands of the Israeli regime with an unparalleled record of noncompliance with Security Council resolutions ... poses a uniquely grave threat to regional and international peace and security," Iranian UN Ambassador Jawad Zarif told the Security Council prior to the vote.
"The same governments which have pushed this council to take groundless punitive measures against Iran's peaceful nuclear program have systematically prevented it from taking any action to nudge the Israeli regime towards submitting itself to the rules governing the nuclear nonproliferation regime," Zarif said.
Iran was not cowed by the UN resolution. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the Security Council would regret voting in favor of the sanctions, and added that the West had lost "the opportunity for friendship with the nation of Iran. You yourself [the West] know that you cannot damage the nation of Iran an iota," the state-run news agency, IRNA, quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.