Iran: 30 Days

Toothless resolutions and time tables. Nice combination.

The Security Council called on Iran on Wednesday to suspend its uranium enrichment program within 30 days, ending three weeks of deadlock between Western powers and Russia and China over how to pressure Tehran to prove its nuclear efforts are not aimed at making weapons.

The 15-member council unanimously adopted a nonbinding statement on Iran after the United States and five other key countries finished difficult negotiations on its wording.

The statement does not commit the United Nations to action against Iran and was written to avoid language that might clearly set the stage for sanctions or subsequent military moves -– the sort of direct pressure that Russia and China have declined to support.

I suppose Russia and China will support some full-scale pouting if Iran doesn't comply. The EU worked diplomatically for two years and came up short. The IAEA says Iran is non-compliant with the NPT. What does it take for the UN to actually take action that is at least modestly aggressive?