IRAN: Iranians react to U.N. Security Council ratcheting up sanctions on Islamic Republic

Record ID: 314551

  • Title: IRAN: Iranians react to U.N. Security Council ratcheting up sanctions on Islamic Republic
  • Date: 4th March 2008
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) TEHRAN RESIDENT FEREYDOON DEHGHAN, SAYING: "We are happy and support the peaceful nuclear energy that we have acquired. We have to stand by this until the end." NEWSPAPER STAND (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) TEHRAN RESIDENT SHAHRAM IRVANI SAYING: "As an Iranian, I'm happy to have this technology, but we are not happy with the consequential sanctions. But we have
  • Embargoed: 19th March 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA405X10O5PX8HACJQ6NWYGKETG
  • Story Text: Iranians continued to show support for the country's nuclear enrichment programme on Tuesday (March 4) despite the imposition of more sanctions.
    The U.N. Security Council's latest sanctions include travel bans and asset freezes against named individuals and calls for vigilance over banks in Iran.
    Tehran however, dismissed the decision as illegal.
    There were 14 votes in favour, none against and one country, Indonesia, abstained.
    Previous sanctions resolutions were adopted unanimously in December 2006 and March 2007, but council envoys said Monday's message to Iran was a strong one.
    Iran denounced the current and previous resolutions as violations of international law, with Tehrani residents maintaining support for the the country's disputed programme.
    "We are happy and support the peaceful nuclear energy that we have acquired. We have to stand by this until the end," said one resident, Fereydoon Dehghan.
    "As an Iranian, I'm happy to have this technology, but we are not happy with the consequential sanctions. But we have to sacrifice something to achieve another," said another Iranian citizen, Shahram Irvani.
    The Sanctions also expand a previous partial ban on trade in items with both civilian and military uses to cover sales of all such technology to Iran.
    The five permanent council members - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia - and Germany, which is not on the council, agreed in Berlin on January 22 on a draft text outlining a third round of sanctions against Tehran.
    Tehran denies Western charges it seeks nuclear weapons and has ignored three previous Security Council resolutions demanding it freeze its uranium enrichment programme, which can produce fuel for nuclear power plants or atomic weapons.
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