Security Council Edges Closer to a Plan To Address Iran's Nuclear Program

UNITED NATIONS —The Security Council edged closer yesterday to an agreement addressing Iran's nuclear violations, with a long-anticipated vote expected as early as tomorrow, diplomats said. They also dismissed Tehran's demand to address what the mullahs perceive as Israel's nuclear threat.

Washington would quash any attempt to raise the reported Israeli nuclear weapons program at the council, diplomats said. "The political configuration in the council will not allow dealing with Israel," China's ambassador to the United Nations, Wang Guangya, said.

Asked if the council should deal with Israel's nuclear program, the top diplomat in the American mission, Ambassador Alejandro Wolff, said no.

Following four months of deliberations, leading council diplomats said yesterday that they were nearing agreement on common language of a European-sponsored resolution addressing Iran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment by the end of August.

The proposed resolution, restricting trade in several nuclear and missile-related materials with Iran, will no longer forbid travel by designated Iranian officials, according to Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin.

"The travel ban is out," Mr. Churkin told reporters yesterday. European diplomats, however, said they found "creative" language to address America's demand to include travel restrictions in the resolution. "Travel is still in the resolution," the British ambassador to the United Nations, Emyr Jones Parry, said.

Mr. Wolff said Washington "will have to assess the balance of the resolution" before deciding to support the resolution or not. But Washington also urged the council to wrap up its deliberations. The 15 council members were expected to receive a finalized text last night, with the option of holding a vote as early as tomorrow.

Late on Tuesday, the Iranian ambassador, Javad Zarif, sent a letter to the council's president and to Secretary-General Annan, demanding that the council "compel" Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and have its atomic installations inspected. "Peace and stability cannot be achieved in the Middle East while the massive Israeli nuclear arsenal continues to threaten the region and beyond," Mr. Zarif wrote.

Tehran's latest diplomatic assault began after Prime Minister Olmert included Israel in a list of "responsible" powers that should be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.

Mr. Annan said on Tuesday that because Israel, India, and Pakistan have not joined the NNPT, they "have not been subject to the kind of pressure on Iran to meet its obligations." Tehran, which did join the treaty, is "obliged" to abide by inspections and the council's decisions, he told reporters.