6 Major Powers Move Closer to Considering More Iran Sanctions
UNITED NATIONS — Six major powers agreed Saturday that the Iranian response to proposals to altering its nuclear development program had been inadequate and that it warranted consideration of further measures by the United Nations Security Council.
Summary:
6 World Powers of the United Nations Security Council met January 16th in New York to discuss further measures for forcing Iran to limit and alter its nuclear development program. The council came to a consensus in terms of their understanding that Iran has not adequately responded to the present sanctions and agreements in terms of the uranium enrichment. However, China sided against the group saying that they oppose new sanctions now. As of now, the countries of the council are pursuing a duel track system under which they would like to attempt to negotiate a settlement with Iran. However, if that effort fell through, they would pursue further sanctions. While the first half of the policy is still in effect, “consideration of appropriate further measures has also begun,” says Robert Cooper, a senior European Union official. Both China and Russia (which also has exhibited some doubt as to whether Iran is actually creating nuclear weapons and therefore is hesitant to enforce restrictions) have voted in favor of the last three rounds of sanctions but recently China has begun to show open opposition towards the efforts, which makes the process of decision making on the council more difficult. While the negotiations seem to be taking a long time, there is always the pressure of time, as there is the possibility that Iran is developing enough enriched uranium to create dangerous nuclear weapons. In addition, the international Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (a treaty created in 1968 to prevent the international spread of nuclear weapons) is to be reviewed in May, and the Council wants all sanctions to be in place before discussions are to be had concerning the future of the treaty, so as not to complicate the situation further.
Analysis:
Firstly, this article reveals the struggles of globalization. It is through cases like these that we can see how each country truly affects the other and how interconnected the separate countries really are. While Iran claims to be enriching uranium for “peaceful civilian purposes”, major countries believe that they are in fact creating large quantities of enriched uranium in order to generate nuclear weapons. While this facet of globalization, the fact that we are kept safe by countries keeping check on one another, seems protective, there is also a downside. Because the countries are separate yet still connected, there is a large chance for mistrust and skepticism, which can draw countries apart and lead to large global conflict, like this one we face today. This piece also exhibits the degree to which the decisions of countries affect other countries. In response to the decision to place sanctions on Iran, the country has to immediately put up a defense and deny the claims if it is to survive in the global community. However, the actions of Iran are also highly consequential to the rest of the world. The belief that they are manufacturing weapons of mass destruction has sent the international community into a state of shock and fright. Information surrounding the nuclear weaponry issue has reached far into the public eye–there seems to be a general mistrust of Iran, especially in American society (see cartoons below). The article also illuminates the global crisis and conflict that Iran faces. In the midst of a war on terror between Western Powers and the Middle East, Iran is suspected of creating the weapons that directly caused the War on Terror. As they are widely mistrusted in the global spectrum, Iran is unable to convince other countries that it is creating uranium solely for peaceful purposes (if it even is). The country appears sneaky and manipulative to foreign powers and cannot be trusted in the international community. This fares badly for Iran’s role in the global economy and community.
