VOA常速英语:Major Powers Agree on New UN Resolution on Iran

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Major world powers agreed Friday on a new U.N. Security Council resolution on Iran's nuclear program despite tensions between the United States and Russia over Georgia. The draft measure, expected to win swift approval in the full council, reaffirms the two-track strategy of offering Iran benefits if it halts uranium enrichment, while stepping up sanctions if it refuses. VOA's David Gollust reports from our U.N. bureau.

The future of the dual-track strategy on Iran had been thrown into doubt earlier this week when Moscow, irritated by U.S. criticism of its Georgia intervention last month, backed out of a planned big-power meeting on a new sanctions resolution.

But after conferring behind closed doors at the United Nations Friday morning, the five permanent U.N. Security Council member countries and Germany said they had agreed on a new resolution that - while including no new sanctions - reaffirms existing penalties and their intention to take additional steps against Iran as needed.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, speaking for the six-power grouping, said the resolution makes clear that Iran can either reap the benefits of engagement with the world community on the nuclear issue or expect punitive action beyond the three existing U.N. sanctions measures.

"You will have seen that the IAEA inspectors have failed to get the cooperation that's necessary from the government of Iran. And so we will be taking the consequent next steps in our discussions, bilaterally and multilaterally on the diplomatic track. As I said, the resolution will be going into consultation today, to affirm our unity, to rally international support, and to show our determination to insure that the international rules are upheld in this very important area," he said.

Miliband said the six powers are working closely together at the political director's level on the next step in the process.

The United States and European allies believe Iran's nominally-peaceful nuclear program has a secret weapons component. Iran in June rejected an enhanced incentive package of economic and diplomatic benefits to halt enrichment and return to negotiations over its nuclear program.

Tehran contends it has a right to master the uranium fuel cycle for nuclear power plants and that preconditions for talks are unacceptable.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Wednesday had their first face-to-face meeting since the Russian invasion of Georgia, which the United States vigorously condemned.

Both said that despite their differences, the two powers can work together on matters of common concern including efforts to curb the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs and to get a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.