Russia, China drag heels on U.N. Iran sanctions

[Purveyor]

UNITED NATIONS — Russia and China have raised objections to nearly every Western proposal for new U.N. sanctions against Iran for its nuclear ambitions except a ban on arms export, according to a working paper.

The document, seen by Reuters Thursday, shows some Russian and Chinese reservations about other proposals for a U.N. Security Council resolution. These include a mandatory travel ban, financial and trade restrictions and expanding a list of Iranian officials and firms whose assets would be frozen, such as those controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

In an effort to break the logjam, senior foreign policy officials from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China held another telephone conference Thursday so U.N. ambassadors could begin drafting a Security Council resolution. But progress was not clear.

The United States and leading European countries suspect Iran is seeking to build nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian atomic program. Tehran denies the charge and says its program is for generating electricity only.

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