Sorry for a month’s delay in bringing this piece, though it was written just 48 hours after the passing of resolution, but I could not upload it for such a long time as my laptop just then decided to go for some vacations. Though I know it will smell bit stale rather than the fresh cake I had intended to serve, but please don’t mind. Since I was feeling quite lazy to edit it so as to cover the time lag, I decided to put this notice instead – dear reader, while reading this blog, kindly cover the time lag by pretending this week to be the week gone a month before.  :)

In the whole week among various International developments, the UN Security Council Resolution against Iran takes the cake. In fact out of all the developments of Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Extradition of William Anderson, and Sri Lankan Minister Douglas being a proclaimed offender in India for various offences, I decided to discuss the UNSC Resolution. And yes, I did. Oh, I did. I did read the whole resolution. 6 pages with perseverance, 7^th and 8^th page with slight slump in my chair, then 9^th and 10^th page with bit more slump in my chair. Its heavy reading man!! So this is what all I found in my reading of UNSC Resolution, and this again is sprinkled with little bit of International Politics. Before coming to the legal issue let us spice it up with surrounding political developments.

This resolution comes 18 months after Obama promised to deliver ‘tougher’ sanctions on Iran, and his Secy for State ran around negotiating with Russia, China, and Turkey et al to back them in sanction. While Turkey and Brazil voted against the sanction, probably due to their impending deal with Iran under which Iran had agreed to send abroad large amount of its low enriched Uranium to in return for higher-enriched fuel rods Iran needs to replenish an ageing medical-research reactor. This deal prima facie seems to resemble the one it had made last October with America, Russia and IAEA, but had backed off at the last moment. The Turkey-Brazil-Iran agreement is alleged to be risky business as under the agreement the low enriched Uranium stocks to be supplied by Iran have to be enriched to 20%, a level from which it is not tough to enrich it to the threshold of making a bomb. Asserting its Right to Energy all along, Iran, led by Mr. Ahmadinejad, has once again, as with previous sanctions, has rejected this fresh round of sanctions too.

This fourth set of sanctions against Iran by UN Security Council (UNSC Resolution No. 1929) state (recalls, notes, reiterates, expresses, emphasizes, stresses, welcomes, recognizes and affirms) the following-

1.)    Iran is directed to co-operate with, and comply fully and without qualifications to the IAEA Safeguards Agreement and its additional Protocols.

2.)    Prohibits Iran from constructing any new uranium enrichment or allied works facility, and directs to discontinue any such ongoing construction. And also decides that Iran should not acquire any interest in any State in any commercial activity involving uranium mining, enrichment, production or use of nuclear energy or materials. In furtherance of same, other nation States are directed to prohibit any such investment in their territories and jurisdiction.

3.)    All other national states are directed to prevent direct or indirect supply of war equipments from or through their territory.

4.)    Has added three annexure containing the names of individual officers related Iran’s nuclear programme and directed all the states to prevent their entry into or transit through their territories. The resolution has also explicitly named Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps, and has called upon states to keep vigilance on transactions of IRGC.

5.)    Has given power to states to inspect all the cargo to and from Iran at seaports and airports, and to seize and dispose of such items trade of which is prohibhited. And has further made it mandatory to provide the details of such inspection, seizure or disposal to Security Council.

6.)    All member states are further directed to communicate to UNSC information on any transaction or activity of Iran Air’s cargo or division or vessels owned or operated by Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping lines.

7.)    Calls upon states to prevent the provision of financial and allied services, including insurance, by or through their nationals or entities organizes under their laws, or by or through persons or entities in their territory if such services will contribute to Iran’s undesired nuclear activities.

8.)    States are called upon to prohibit any ventures of Iranian Banks in their territories, and, also to prohibit the financial institutions under their jurisdiction to extend their services to Iran, if they have sufficient information and reasonable grounds to believe that activities of such institutions contribute to the nuclear activities of Iran.

These were the highlights of UNSC Sanctions against Iran. I have not been able to make a legal analysis of the same, but will be very soon writing on the repercussions of this sanctions, which will, of course, be less legal and more political because international law is a reluctant law of reluctant nations, its international politics which carries the real sanction.