11 December 2009, UN

Western powers upped the pressure on Iran , threatening to push for new UN sanctions early next year if Tehran continues to defy  demands to halt its sensitive  nuclear fuel work.

The renewed pressure  was met with calls for patience from  china and Russia while Iran’s  UN mission  accused “some members of the security  council”  of raising “baseless and unfounded allegations regarding  the fearful nature of  Iran’s nuclear  activities”. Britain’s UN Ambassador Mark grant told  reporters  that “discussions of new  UN sanctions would  start at the  begging of the New Year. If Tehran fails to  reassure  the world community  about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program”. His French counter parts  Gerard araud  said, “ We make a last call Iran to respond” to Security Council demand. “If Iran does not …… France will present a new  resolution  of sanctions”. And US ambassador  Susan rice  stressed that the international community  “stands firm in its  conviction that Iran must comply  with its  international obligations.

The three western  envoys  made the remarks after hearing the report from the head of  UN Security Council panel  monitoring implantations of 2007 resolutions slapping Iran  with  an export ban on arms. The panel gave report of two incidents in which vessels  carrying arms-related material  in the medettrain  was carrying  arms from Iran  for Lebanese  militant  group Hezbollah. Western powers suspect  Tehran is using  uranium  enrichment as a cover  to acquire  nuclear weapon.