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U.S. prepares for solo strategy against Iran - by Maggie Farley
UNITED NATIONS - With increasing signs that several fellow Security Council members may stall a United States push to sanction Iran for its nuclear enrichment program, administration officials indicated Friday they are prepared to form an independent coalition to freeze Iranian assets and restrict trade. The strategy, analysts say, reflects not only long-standing U.S. frustration with the Security Council's inaction on Iran, but also the current weakness of Washington's position because of its controversial role in a series of conflicts in the Middle East, most recently in Lebanon. Despite assurances from Russia and China in July that they would support initial sanctions against Iran if it failed to suspend aspects of its nuclear program, Russia seemed to backtrack this week after Tehran agreed to continue talks, but refused to halt enrichment. A Security Council resolution gives the Islamic republic until Aug. 31 to stop uranium enrichment or face penalties.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Friday that, as long as Iran was willing to negotiate, it was "premature" to punish the country and perhaps permanently isolate it.
"I do not know cases in international practice or the whole of the previous experience when sanctions reached their goals or were efficient," Ivanov said. "Apart from this, I do not think that the issue is so urgent that the UN Security Council or the group of six countries (United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany) should consider the introduction of sanctions. In any case Russia continues to advocate a political and diplomatic solution to the problem." French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Iran's response "is not satisfactory" but that France wants to avoid a new conflict that could lead to "a clash of civilizations."
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