Proposed new United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme call for travel bans and asset freezes for named Iranian officials and vigilance on all banks in Iran, according to a draft text.
The text of "elements" of a third round of sanctions, obtained by Reutersyesterday, was agreed by Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Russia and China and will be the basis of a formal resolution intended for the Security Council to approve in the next few weeks.
The foreign ministers of the five permanent Security Council members and Germany agreed on the outline in Berlin on Tuesday.
Diplomats said the draft text represented a compromise, since it did not contain the tough punitive economic measures that Washington had been pushing for. Western countries say Iran's refusal to stop enriching uranium is behind their suspicion that Tehran is seeking nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful and it is entitled to enrich uranium.
The proposal says the eventual resolution urges Iran to halt enrichment immediately and will include a list of specific individuals whose travel should be restricted and assets frozen. Their names were not immediately available. The draft says they are individuals linked to "Iran's proliferation sensitive activities or for the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems ... (or) procurement of the prohibited items, goods, equipment, materials or technology."
Among the specific measures, the proposal "calls upon states to exercise vigilance over the activities of financial institutions ... with all banks domiciled in Iran." As expected, the proposal said countries should be especially vigilant regarding two large Iranian banks - Bank Melli and Bank Saderat - though it does not ban transactions with them as the four Western powers had wanted.
Russia and China had opposed this, demanding instead a voluntary call for increased monitoring of the banks and not a ban on business with them. Dealings with Iran's Bank Sepah were banned last year in the second sanctions resolution. The proposal also urges countries to inspect cargo going in and coming out of Iran if they are suspicious of its contents and to be cautious about granting export credits or guarantees to companies doing business there.