San Francisco (Obama.net)- Iran has been a cause for concern within the United Nations for years. Sanctions have been placed on Iran before, but despite them the Middle Eastern state has continued to do whatever they have pleased.
On Wednesday, the Security Council of the United Nations decided to make one more attempt to stop Iran’s nuclear weapons program. In order to get it done, the Security Council issued the strictest sanctions ever seen on Iran. President Barack Obama said that the sanctions, which were passed with a 12-2 vote, are by far the “toughest” Iran has ever received.
However, once again Iran is defiant. Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmaninejad called the sanctions a “used handkerchief that should be dumped in a trash can,” and that “they cannot harm the Iranian nation.”
Obama made it clear that “true security will not come through nuclear weapons.”
The Iranian ambassador in the United Nations, Mohammad Khazaee criticized the decision, which only Brazil and Turkey voted no on. Khazaee expressed that Iran has no interest in nuclear weapons as they are disallowed by their religious beliefs.
Obama discredited that claim by pointing out that Iran has a program for nuclear enrichment in which they work with uranium, a substance they are not permitted to enrich that they also receive help from Turkey in obtaining. Obama questioned Iran’s responsibility and allegiance to the treaties they’ve signed.
Susan Rice, the American ambassador in the United Nations agreed with President Obama. She informed the assembly that “these sanctions are not directed at the Iranian people,” but that they are only to do with the nuclear activities within Iran. She blamed Iran for all the problems because of their violations of previous agreements and treaties.
Iran tried to save grace and divert the sanctions from being imposed by threatening to end peace negotiations with America and other states as well. Iran claims the sanctions hurt all of the progress that has been made since Obama’s first meeting with Ahmaninejad last year.
Israel is also pleased with the decision. However, Israel feels more needs to be done to protect them and surrounding Middle Eastern countries from any possible Iranian attacks. Israel fears for the possible combinations of Iran’s ideology and possession of strong nuclear weapons resulting in ultimate devastation.
But Obama and his allies have not lost hope in reaching peace agreements with Iran. The hope is that Iran will take these sanctions and respond positively to ensure the safety of the international community, as well as a stronger sense of a community in the world.
As Obama said, “actions do have consequences. Today the Iranian government will face some of those consequences.”
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