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Iran sanctions draft not legitimate-senior official | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad adjusts his jacket during a meeting at the presidency in Tehran, on May 18, 2010 (AFP)


Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad adjusts his jacket during a meeting at the presidency in Tehran, on May 18, 2010 (AFP)

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad adjusts his jacket during a meeting at the presidency in Tehran, on May 18, 2010 (AFP)

TEHRAN, (Reuters) – A U.N. sanctions draft resolution against Iran has no legitimacy, the semi-official Fars news agency quoted a close ally of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying on Wednesday.

“The draft being discussed at the United Nations Security Council has no legitimacy at all,” Fars quoted Ahmadinejad’s senior adviser Mojtaba Samareh-Hashemi as saying.

The United States handed a draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that would expand sanctions against Iran by hitting its banking and other industries for refusing to halt uranium enrichment activities.

The draft was agreed by all five veto-wielding council members, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia.

Under a deal brokered by Brazil and Turkey on Monday, Iran agreed to send some enriched uranium abroad in return for fuel rods for a medical research reactor.

The United States and its European allies regarded the deal as a manoeuvre by Iran to delay more sanctions.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu speaks to the media in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, May 18, 2010, a day after Iran agreed to ship most of its enriched uranium to Turkey in a nuclear fuel swap deal (AP)

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu speaks to the media in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, May 18, 2010, a day after Iran agreed to ship most of its enriched uranium to Turkey in a nuclear fuel swap deal (AP)

U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice speaks to reporters after a Security Council consultation on the situation in Iran, Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at United Nations headquarters (AP)

U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice speaks to reporters after a Security Council consultation on the situation in Iran, Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at United Nations headquarters (AP)