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Russia: New Iran sanctions lack bite

MOSCOW - Russia said Wednesday a draft U.N. resolution on Iran's nuclear program does not call for any harsh sanctions, and the Iranian president said new measures would not deter the country's pursuit of nuclear technology.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the draft encourages countries to be vigilant in their dealings with Iran to prevent the illegal transfer of nuclear material, but "does not foresee any harsh sanctions."

Referring to the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, Lavrov said the terms "will be enforced until the International Atomic Energy Agency's concerns are resolved." He spoke at a news conference a day after the draft was approved by the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed new sanctions as irrelevant.

"From our point of view, the issue is over. The issuance of a new resolution won't have any impact on the behavior of the Iranian nation," Iran's official news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

The text was agreed upon in Berlin on Tuesday, and U.S. and European diplomats said it bolstered existing sanctions, notably asset freezes and travel bans on Iranian officials. But they disagreed on whether it contained new measures.

In Davos, Switzerland, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said agreement on the draft "showed that we remain united, that we do not want Iran to become a nuclear weapons power, and that we will continue to hold Iran to its international obligations."

[Last modified January 24, 2008, 01:39:28]