The Security Council’s “Statement” on Iran

I mis-blogged yesterday when I suggested the Security Council had agreed on a “resolution” threatening Iran about its nuclear program. Technically, the Council’s President (currently held by Argentina’s U.N. Rep) issued a presidential “statement.” I assume the Council’s statement took this kind of odd form to remove any lingering concerns that it would be seen as legal authorization for the use of force against Iran. This waters down the effect of what is already pretty soggy language. Here are the key grafs:

“The Security Council calls upon Iran to take the steps required by the IAEA Board of Governors, notably in the first operative paragraph of its resolution GOV/2006/14, which are essential to build confidence in the exclusively peaceful purpose of its nuclear programme and to resolve outstanding questions, and underlines, in this regard, the particular importance of re-establishing full and sustained suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, to be verified by the IAEA.

The Security Council expresses the conviction that such suspension and full, verified Iranian compliance with the requirements set out by the IAEA Board of Governors would contribute to a diplomatic, negotiated solution that guarantees Iran’s nuclear programme is for exclusively peaceful purposes, and underlines the willingness of the international community to work positively for such a solution, which will also benefit nuclear non-proliferation elsewhere.