Russia and China have raised objections to nearly every Western proposal for new UN sanctions against Iran over its nuclear ambitions except a ban on arms exports, according to a working paper.
The document, seen by Reuters yesterday, shows some Russian and Chinese reservations about other proposals for a UN Security Council resolution.
These include a mandatory travel ban, financial and trade restrictions and expanding a list of Iranian officials and firms whose assets would be frozen, such as those controlled by Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
But one negotiator, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "It's still a very lively discussion,"
In an effort to break the logjam, senior foreign policy officials from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China held another telephone conference on Thursday followed by a meeting of UN ambassadors late in the day.
The United States and leading European countries suspect Iran is seeking to build nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian atomic program. Tehran denies the charge and says its program is for generating electricity only.
The new resolution is a follow-up to one adopted by the Security Council on December 23 that imposed trade sanctions on sensitive nuclear materials and technology and froze assets of key Iranians individuals, groups and businesses.