Iranian parliament's foreign affairs commission said yesterday that a UN Security Council resolution urging Iran to stop uranium enrichment by August 31 was "unacceptable."

 

"The Security Council resolution is unacceptable and is shifting the climate down a path that will help no one," the Fars News Agency quoted Kazem Jalali, a spokesman for the commission, as saying.

 

The UN Security Council Monday adopted the resolution by a vote of 14 to 1. Qatar, the only Arab nation on the Security Council, cast the only negative vote.

 

Jalali also warned that the US would be a loser if it wants to play a "game" over Iran's nuclear issue.

 

"The Americans must be sure that Iran will not take part in a game that it will lose," Jalali said.

 

"If there were to be a loser, it would be those who have shifted the Iranian nuclear issue away from dialogue," the spokesman added.

 

The resolution, adopted after weeks of negotiation, demands Iran "suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development."

 

On the insistence of council members such as Russia and China, the resolution dropped the threat of immediate sanctions, and requires the council to hold further discussions before it considers sanctions.

 

Explaining Iran's position on the nuclear issue, Iranian Ambassador to the UN Javad Zarif said that Iran is not seeking confrontation and has showed its readiness to engage in serious and result-oriented negotiation based on mutual respect and equal footing.

 

"Iran's peaceful nuclear program poses no threat to international peace and security and therefore dealing with this issue in the Security Council is unwarranted and void of any legal basis or practical utility," he said.

 

Iran has promised to give an official response by August 22 to a six-nation proposal that demands Iran suspend enrichment in return for economic incentives.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 2, 2006)