June 9, 2010 UN Passes New Sanction Against Iran

Itt has taken one full year of effort, but the UN Security Council has finally passed a new sanction resolution directed at Iran. The Obama Administration successfully convinced both China and Russia to support the resolution. There is no doubt that this resolution is not as strong and the United States, and certainly Israel would like, but it does have real teeth-- as we can see by how hard Iran has worked to stop it. Some of the key provisions of the resolution that Iran does not like are a nearly complete ban on the sale of conventional weapons to Iran. The resolution also puts a stringent ban on selling any components or technology for building missiles to Iran. The resolution puts in place a process for the inspection of Iranian ships for contraband. Finally, the resolution explicitly allows member states to put even more stringent restriction on other areas of the Iranian economy. The two countries who voted against the resolution are Iran’s new friends, Turkey and Brazil.

While these resolutions are not a panacea, they are a good step, and it does show that the United States is capable of enlisting the help of China and Russia to stop the Iranian nuclear program.