“Canada fully supports the adoption of this resolution by the Security Council, which results from Iran’s failure to comply with its international obligations,” Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier said in a statement.
Canada “strongly encourages” Iran to consider an incentive package proposed by China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain and the United States to suspend its nuclear activities, he said.
The new sanctions under Resolution 1803 include a travel ban for some Iranian officials, a freeze of assets of Iranian companies and officials, additional restrictions on the sale of dual-use items to Iran, and a call for others to withdraw financial support for trade with Iran.
Previous UN resolutions urged Iran to suspend all sensitive nuclear activities, including uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing, as well as prove that its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes.
“We are deeply concerned that Iran has failed to clarify a number of outstanding issues around its nuclear program,” Bernier said.
He urged Tehran to “fully cooperate” with the IAEA and explain reports that it is pursuing studies relevant to weaponization of nuclear materials, in order “to clearly demonstrate that its program is solely intended for peaceful purposes.”
