U.N. Council imposes sanctions on Iran

By Evelyn Leopold

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously on Saturday to impose new sanctions on Iran for its nuclear ambitions by targeting Tehran's arms exports, state-owned bank and elite Revolutionary Guards.

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki immediately rejected the council's demand to suspend uranium enrichment, which can be used for making bombs and to general electricity. He maintained Iran's program was for peaceful purposes.

The resolution bans arms exports from Iran and freezes financial assets abroad of 28 Iranian individuals and entities, including its Bank Sepah, and the commanders and companies associated with the Revolutionary Guards.

It threatens further sanctions if Iran does not comply within 60 days. If it does, sanctions would be suspended.

U.S. representative Alejandro Wolff told the council that adoption of Resolution 1747 sent "a clear and unambiguous message to Iran" that the pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability "will only further isolate Iran and make it less, not more, secure,"

Addressing the council after the vote, Mottaki said the 15-member body had been manipulated by some of its members to take "unjustifiable action" against Iran's nuclear program.

"I can assure you that pressure and intimidation will not change Iranian policy," he said. "Suspension is neither an option nor a solution."

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had wanted to speak to the 15-nation council but canceled his appearance because visas for his flight crew were delivered too late for his plane to arrive in New York before the vote. Washington disputes this.