UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously approved a new resolution reaffirming previous sanctions on Iran for refusing to halt its uranium enrichment program and offering Tehran incentives to do so.

The Security Council called on Iran to “comply fully without delay to obligations” set out by the previous resolutions, while asking Iran to meet the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding it’s nuclear activities.

The speedy vote on Saturday followed a compromise between the US and Russia to lead a new council effort to condemn Iran’s nuclear program, without introducing any new sanctions.

US permanent representative to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad said the council had restated its call for Iran to comply with the resolutions and cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog agency, the IAEA. “It is unacceptable for Iran to defy the Security Council resolutions,” Khalilzad said.

Speaking before the vote during yesterday’s council meeting, Indonesian Ambassador Marty Natalegawa said it would not have been possible to support the resolution if it had contained language specifying additional sanctions against Iran.

The resolution text stated that the Security Council “reaffirms its commitment within the framework to an early negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue and welcomes the continuing efforts in this regard.”

Representatives of US, Russia and French to the UN all agreed on the need to solve the Iranian issue through diplomacy. Khalilzad said that the US is very pleased with the unanimous vote, adding, “It shows that the international community is united on this issue.”

He said, everyone agreed on the issue of Iran’s right to pursue nuclear power for peaceful purposes and the US has repeatedly stated the desire to work with Iran to find a solution on the issue of nuclear fuel.

Interestingly, Khalilzad stressed US’ desire to solve the Iran nuclear issue diplomatically stating that is the “best way to deal with it.”

Russian permanent representative Vitaly Churkin said it was Russia’s idea of wanting a brief and to the point resolution that would help reignite the political process. “We are very pleased that we adopted this resolution. We are trying to work on a peaceful solution to Iran’s nuclear issue. We must work vigoursly and actively to pursue a political outcome,” he said.

Churkin, while explaining Russia’s position, said that its main value is citing and reaffirming the resolutions adopted previously.

Those were drafted very carefully in avoiding any possibility of encouraging or contemplating a military solution to the Iranian issue. The new resolution will channel everyone’s thinking in the direction of a political rather than military enterprises. France’s representative Jean-Maurice Ripert too affirmed that the new resolution reaffirmed the international community’s wish for dialogue but if it fails “we will go for more pressure.”

Iran’s mission to the UN immediately condemned the resolution as “unwarranted and unconstructive,” and said Iran remained determined to exercise “its inalienable right for peaceful uses of nuclear technology.”

The resolution was designed to send a signal that “our resolve has not weakened on this issue, that the discussions among our political directors about the next steps remain very much there,” British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said.

Even envoys from countries that abstained in votes on the past resolutions said they supported the measure.

The latest resolution refers to the “dual-track approach” adopted by the council. This presents Iran with a choice of incentives to stop enriching uranium and, alternatively, threats of new sanctions if it does not comply.

— With input from agencies