Iran says surprised at sanctions plan, urges patience

DAVOS, Switzerland-Iran said on Saturday it was surprised by proposed new sanctions over its nuclear program and said major powers should have waited for the verdict of a United Nations watchdog in March.Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said there had been an understanding between Iran and the major powers-Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Russia and China-to give inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency time to resolve questions over Tehran's program."This cooperation started five months ago and we have reached a milestone in that process. Now we are on the brink of the finalization of that cooperation," Mottaki told reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland."Therefore we advise them to exercise restraint. There is not much time left until the final report of the IAEA comes out," Mottaki said, speaking through an interpreter.Western countries say Iran's refusal to stop enriching uranium supports their suspicion that Tehran is seeking nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful and has ignored repeated U.N. demands that it cease enrichment. Foreign ministers of the six powers agreed on an outline in Berlin on Tuesday and the text of their proposed third round of sanctions was circulated on Friday to the 10 nonpermanent council members.The text will be the basis of a resolution intended for the Security Council to pass in the next few weeks.The new measures proposed against Tehran call for mandatory travel bans and asset freezes for specific Iranian officials and vigilance on all banks in Iran, according to a draft text.
"WAIT FOR REPORT"
"In March the (IAEA) board of governors will meet to receive the report by Director General (Mohamed) ElBaradei and there is not much time until then," Mottaki said. "I'm not going to make a prejudgment about the view of the IAEA. I say everyone should wait until the final report comes out," he added.Western diplomats said they would not try to rush a resolution-the first on Iran in more than 10 months-through the security council, because they wanted unanimity.Western powers had to soften some proposed measures to meet Chinese and Russian demands. But European Union and U.S. diplomats said they were the latest step in a gradual expansion of sanctions against Iran and would almost certainly be followed by further penalties if Tehran remained defiant.The proposal says the resolution will demand again that Iran halt enrichment immediately and will include a list of specific new individuals whose travel should be restricted and assets frozen.Iran received a seventh batch of nuclear fuel on Saturday from Russia for its first atomic power plant, leaving just one more to complete the total assignment, the official IRNA news agency said.Russia has urged Iran to scrap its own program for making nuclear fuel, but Tehran has says it also wants to make its own fuel so that it will have secure supplies in the future.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080126/ts_nm/iran_nuclear_dc;_ylt=Au1l968M6HeVMlKN.QIX5SlZ.3QA

As in the days of Noah....