Libya may not back new Iran sanctions resolution

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Libya's U.N. ambassador said on Monday he doubted his country, which sits on the Security Council, could support in its current form a proposed sanctions resolution against Iran over its nuclear program.

"Really we cannot be supportive of further sanctions," Giadalla Ettalhi told reporters as he went into a Security Council meeting on unrelated issues.

Asked if Libya would vote "no" if the European-drafted resolution went to a vote unchanged, Ettalhi said, "I think so."

Britain and France formally put the resolution before the 15-nation council last week. U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad has said he hopes for a vote on Friday.

The draft, which would be the council's third sanctions resolution on the issue, steps up travel and financial restrictions on named Iranian individuals and companies.

Two previous sanctions resolutions were approved unanimously in December 2006 and March 2007.

The penalties are intended to force Tehran to halt uranium enrichment, which Iran says is for power generation but Western countries fear means Tehran is seeking atomic weapons.

Ettalhi said Libya's definitive position would depend on council discussions to be held on Wednesday. He said his country would need to see how the final draft would look.

He said he thought "there should be some changes" following a new report on Iran last week by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The report gave a mixed assessment, saying Tehran had not responded adequately to Western intelligence allegations of work linked to making atomic bombs but had clarified issues related to other past nuclear work. Iran said the report had vindicated it but Western countries said the opposite.

Western countries have made clear that while they might consider minor changes to the resolution, they are not prepared to further water down the sanctions agreed by permanent members the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.

A Libyan contrary vote or abstention could not stop passage of the resolution, but Western countries are keen for another unanimous 15-0 vote which they say would send a firmer signal to Tehran. To pass, a resolution needs nine votes in favor with no votes against by any of the permanent members.

Apart from Libya, Western countries have said they are also concerned about the position of nonpermanent council members South Africa, Indonesia and Vietnam.

(Reporting by Patrick Worsnip; editing by Mohammad Zargham)