Germany Welcomes UN Resolution on Iran

United Nations resolution 1696 expressed "serious concern" at Iran's refusal to comply with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) orders to halt uranium enrichment and other work that could help build a nuclear bomb.

The text did not include an immediate threat of sanctions, opposed by Russia and China, and said punitive action would be the subject of further discussions. But IAEA director Mohammed ElBaradei will have to give a report on Iran's action by Aug. 31. If Iran does not suspend its nuclear work, the council would consider adopting "appropriate measures," which could be economic and political sanctions.

The resolution was passed by a 14-1 vote with Qatar in opposition. It was welcomed by the United States and its allies, but Iran's UN ambassador Javad Zarif said it was "destructive and totally unwarranted" in a long speech to the council.

"I would suggest to you that this approach will not lead to any productive outcome. It can only exacerbate the situation," Zarif told the council. He said Iran was only ready for "serious and non-discriminatory" negotiations.

"The door to negotiations is open."

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the international community was setting a firm sign of its unity.

"It's up to Iran now to fulfil these binding demands of the international community and dispel the existing doubts about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program," Steinmeier said in a statement on Monday. "Iran has the choice. The door to negotiations is open."

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the resolution's wording meant Iran still had time to cooperate with world powers on its nuclear program and avoid an all-out confrontation.

"I want to be very clear that this doesn't close the door to diplomacy," Rice told reporters on her way back to Washington from a Middle East peace mission.

Both Rice and Steinmeier said the extensive six-party package -- worked out by Germany, France, Britain, the United States, Russia and China -- was still on the table.

"Our top goal remains finding an amicable diplomatic solution," Steinmeier said. "I appeal to the leaders in Tehran to take this opportunity and create the conditions for a return to the negotiating table."

Iran is a potential volcano

Signals from Tehran do not indicate that Iran will comply to the UN demands.

"The Security Council resolution is unacceptable and is shifting the climate down a path which will help no one," Kazem Jalali, spokesman for the Iranian parliament's foreign affairs commission, was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency late Monday.

Qatar was the only council member to oppose the Iran resolution. It said it was too confrontational.

"Do we really want to see another volcano erupting in this region?" said Qatari UN ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser.

Russia and China gave their backing, though both said that there was no immediate threat of sanctions. Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin said that even the next stage precluded any threat of military action.

Japan on Tuesday welcomed the UN resolution and said its position was unaffected by its close trade ties with the oil producer. Japan, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, is a close US ally but has also been a major investor in Iran's energy sector. Asia's largest economy is heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil.

China said diplomacy was crucial in resolving the Iran nuclear crisis.

"China hopes the resolution on Iran's nuclear issue would serve the ongoing diplomatic efforts to settle the standoff," the official Xinhua news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao as saying Tuesday. "China calls on all parties concerned to keep calm and exercise restraint, and continue to push forward (for an) early resumption of negotiations."