Links
Russia and China take hard line with Iran over uranium enrichment
Russia and China, Iran's nominal allies, yesterday supported the West in demanding that Tehran immediately mothball a recently revealed nuclear facility and comply with United Nations Security Council resolutions to halt its enrichment of uranium.
The motion, overwhelmingly passed by the governing body of the UN's nuclear watchdog, was the starkest of warnings to the Islamic republic of its increasing international isolation.
The censure came in the first resolution against Iran in nearly four years by the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The rare endorsements by Moscow and Beijing reflected their growing impatience with Iran's procrastination over a two-month-old UN-brokered deal that would allay fears the Islamic republic's nuclear program is aimed at weapons development.
To Washington's delight, Russia said it expected Tehran to heed the IAEA decision.