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| UN approves new sanctions on Iran | UN approves new sanctions on Iran |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The UN Security Council has voted in favour of new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme. | The UN Security Council has voted in favour of new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme. |
| Fourteen of the council's 15 members voted in favour of measures including asset freezes and travel bans for Iranian officials. Indonesia abstained. | Fourteen of the council's 15 members voted in favour of measures including asset freezes and travel bans for Iranian officials. Indonesia abstained. |
| Western powers suspect Iran may be developing nuclear weapons, but Iran says its nuclear programme is for energy generation only. | |
| Tehran has refused to comply with demands that it stop enriching uranium. | Tehran has refused to comply with demands that it stop enriching uranium. |
| This can be undertaken for power generation, but may also be a precursor to building an atomic bomb. | This can be undertaken for power generation, but may also be a precursor to building an atomic bomb. |
| RESOLUTION 1803 Imposes travel bans on five Iranian officialsFreezes foreign assets of 13 Iranian companies and 13 officialsBans sale of dual-use items to IranUrges governments to withdraw financial backing from firms trading with Iran, inspect cargo going into and out of the country, and monitor the activities of two Iranian banksRequests IAEA to report on whether Iran has complied with demand to suspend uranium enrichmentIf not, threatens further sanctions Iran still claims to be winningQ&A: Iran nuclear issues | |
| This third sanctions resolution - formally submitted by France and Britain - adds to resolutions adopted in 2006 and 2007. | This third sanctions resolution - formally submitted by France and Britain - adds to resolutions adopted in 2006 and 2007. |
| It calls for the foreign assets of 13 Iranian companies to be frozen, and imposes travel bans on five Iranian officials. | It calls for the foreign assets of 13 Iranian companies to be frozen, and imposes travel bans on five Iranian officials. |
| It bans the sale to Iran of so-called dual-use items - which can have either a military or civilian purpose. | |
| The BBC's Laura Trevelyan at the UN says the measures are lowest-common-denominator sanctions that even China and Russia - who maintain closer links with Iran than the Western powers - would support. | |
| Both China and Russia are permanent, veto-wielding members of the Security Council. | Both China and Russia are permanent, veto-wielding members of the Security Council. |
| Iranian anger | Iranian anger |
| The resolution received the backing of all five permanent members - which also include France, Britain, and the US. | |
| The non-permanent members all backed it, except Indonesia, which said it remained to be convinced of the need for sanctions. | |
| Peoples around the world consider the actions of the Security Council as the result of the political pressure exerted by a few powers Mohammad KhazeeIranian ambassador to UN | |
| In a statement before the vote, Iran's envoy to the UN, Mohammad Khazee, described the resolution as politically motivated, illegal, and illegitimate. | In a statement before the vote, Iran's envoy to the UN, Mohammad Khazee, described the resolution as politically motivated, illegal, and illegitimate. |
| He insisted Iran's nuclear programme "has been, is, and will remain, absolutely peaceful" - and said Iran would ignore the sanctions. | |
| Mr Khazee said the council's action was not supported by most of the UN's 192 member states, nor most people, who viewed "the actions of the council as the result of the political pressure exerted by a few powers to advance their own agendas". | |
| But the US ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, said it was "just too dangerous for the world to accept this government having access to production of fissile material and getting close or acquiring a nuclear weapons capability". | |
| Offer renewed | |
| In remarks to reporters, the British ambassador to the UN, John Sawers, said the permanent council members would ask EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to meet Iran's chief nuclear negotiator to try to resolve the impasse. | |
| He restated an offer made in 2006 to assist Tehran with its civilian nuclear programme, in exchange for the suspension of uranium enrichment. | |
| The UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, reported in February that Iran had cleared up most of the outstanding questions regarding its past nuclear activities. | The UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, reported in February that Iran had cleared up most of the outstanding questions regarding its past nuclear activities. |
| But the IAEA has criticised Iran for refusing to clarify remaining questions about intelligence suggesting Tehran may have been exploring ways to "weaponise" nuclear materials. | But the IAEA has criticised Iran for refusing to clarify remaining questions about intelligence suggesting Tehran may have been exploring ways to "weaponise" nuclear materials. |
| Iran's envoy to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, has dismissed the intelligence as "forged and fabricated". | Iran's envoy to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, has dismissed the intelligence as "forged and fabricated". |
| He said in Vienna after a meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board that "all the outstanding issues have been concluded". | He said in Vienna after a meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board that "all the outstanding issues have been concluded". |