AFP: US Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad on Thursday warned China that it would have to bear responsibility for the failure of diplomacy to resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis if it stands in the way of new sanctions against Tehran. UNITED NATIONS (AFP) US Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad on Thursday warned China that it would have to bear responsibility for the failure of diplomacy to resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis if it stands in the way of new sanctions against Tehran.
“I don’t think China would want to be in a position to cause a failure of diplomacy to deal with this issue,” he told reporters as he commented on the release a report by the UN nuclear watchdog agency on Iran’s compliance with UN demands that it come clean on the nature of its nuclear program.
“It’s in everyone’s interest for this world defining issue to be resolved diplomatically,” he added.
The report by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found that Iran has made “substantial progress” in revealing the nature and extent of its disputed nuclear program, but needs to be more pro-active in providing information.
“We will seek Chinese cooperation” to secure a third Security Council resolution mandating tougher sanctions against Tehran over its failure to comply with demands that it halt uranium enrichment, Khalilzad said.
“The indications are mixed so far,” he said pointing to Chinese foot-dragging “in terms of participation of in the political directors’ meeting to come to an agreement on a new resolution as quickly as possible.”
“I don’t believe that the Chinese would want to stand in the way of effective diplomacy to deal with this issue because only a strong resolution with new and biting sanctions would give diplomacy a chance to succeed,” the US envoy said.
“For diplomacy to succeed it needs widely supported, broad and biting sanctions to affect the calculations of the regime in Iran,” he added.
Iran has always insisted that its atomic drive is purely to generate electricity for a growing population, but Washington accuses Tehran of seeking to develop a nuclear bomb.
