Russia Questions Use Of More Sanctions On Iran

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin (file photo) (official site)

February 23, 2007 -- Russia's ambassador to the UN has questioned the usefulness of more sanctions against Iran.

Vitaly Churkin said the goal was to find a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear ambitions.

He was speaking after the UN nuclear agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency, issued a new report saying Iran had failed to meet a February 21 deadline to suspend uranium enrichment.

The United States as well as Britain and France are pushing for more sanctions to those imposed after Iran defied a December 23 UN Security Council resolution.

On February 26, the officials from the five permanent Security Council members with veto rights -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France -- and Germany meet in London to begin drafting a resolution on further sanctions.

Iran has said it wants to negotiate with the Europeans and even the United States but has refused to halt its nuclear enrichment program as a precondition. Tehran contends that its program is for peaceful energy uses only.

(Reuters)