Clinton: Security Council resolution goes ‘well beyond’ previous sanctions

Secretary Clinton says yesterday’s U.N. Security Council resolution sends an "unambiguous signal" to Iran that it will be held responsible for actions it takes to develop nuclear weapons.

In a statement issued yesterday about the resolution, which places even more sanctions on Iran, Clinton said:

I commend the United Nations Security Council for its adoption today of UN Security Council Resolution 1929, aimed at addressing the international community’s concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program.…

This resolution sends an unambiguous signal to Iran that the international community holds it accountable for its actions. The measures in this resolution go well beyond the pre-existing sanctions on Iran. That said, we have worked hard to minimize their impact on the Iranian people. They target instead elements within the Iranian government, with the aim of changing the leadership’s calculations.…

The United States is committed to a diplomatic solution to the challenge posed by Iran’s nuclear program and we hope the Council’s adoption of this resolution will make clear to Iran’s leaders the choice that is before them: how much they have to gain from real engagement with the international community, and how much more they stand to lose from continuing down their current path.

The big question, though, is: Will the sanctions work? The recent FP piece, "Weak Tea," argues that this latest round of sanctions has been watered down to the point that they will be "ineffective."

Update: Clinton’s impromptu remarks about the resolution, including her reaction to Brazil’s and Turkey’s no votes, are here.

(In the photo above, Clinton leads a U.N. Security Council session on Sept. 30, 2009.)