Iran's case at UNSC

The UN Security Council has passed a rather mild statement on Iran's nuclear programme, though not for lack of will on the part of the US and European members of the world body to take harsher measures.
The statement, a non-binding one, gives Iran 30 days to halt its uranium enrichment activity, urging the country to re-establish full and sustained suspension of all enrichment related reprocessing activities, including research and development.
It took three weeks of intense negotiations for the Council members to arrive at a consensus statement. Britain and France, backed by the US wrote the draft of the statement, wanted to include in it the assertion that Iran's nuclear-related activities pose a threat to international peace and security. However, the two veto wielding UNSC members, Russia and China, opposed the move.
The Russian Ambassador to the UN pointed out, "When you speak about a threat to international peace and security, you must have a strong and clear and legally proved evidence."
The claim could be used as a pretext for sanctions, something the two friends of Iran have been opposing thus far. Indeed, the statement avoided recommending any possible action in case of non-compliance.
China and Russia have strong economic interests in Iran, and Russia, in fact, has been helping the country with its Bushehr nuclear facility. They wish to see the issue resolved peacefully, and hence have tried to keep the statement as gentle as possible so that the Iranian leadership does not feel pressured enough to dig in its heels and insist on its right, as per the international law, to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.
In fact, in his reaction to the latest development, Iran's UN Ambassador said that his country was "allergic to pressure, threats, and intimidation." The mildness of the UNSC resolution, though, does not mean Russia and China are supportive of any nuclear weapons ambitions that Iran might harbour. The two countries actually voted, at the IAEA board meeting, in favour of Tehran's referral to the UNSC.
Iran has to be mindful of the impending dangers. The good thing is that it has not slammed the door on negotiations. It says it is "ready for a negotiated solution, and to address the concerns of the international community - if they really are the concerns of the international community, and not only of some in the West."
Indeed, nuclear proliferation is a matter of concern for all those who believe in peace and security everywhere in the world. Unfortunately, Western nations like to follow double standards: they are willing to go to any lengths to punish Iran but continue to ignore Israel's nuclear programme - the country has 200 nuclear weapons - which remains unmonitored, and is the principal motivation for countries such as Iran to want to do likewise.
Also, when the established nuclear powers tell Iran to give up its alleged nuclear weapons ambitions they conveniently disregard an important detail about the Non-Proliferation Treaty they accept and seek to promote.
The main objective of the Treaty, aside from preventing "the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology" was "to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament." Sad as it is, nuclear disarmament is nowhere on the agenda of the self-righteous Western powers. Instead, the US along with its protégé Israel have focussed its energies on trying to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear capability. If the UNSC fails in its efforts to have Iran give up its programme the US and Israel would be ready to launch a military strike on that country's nuclear facilities.
In fact, experts point out that had that been easily doable, US/Israel would not have waited as long as they have for diplomacy to succeed. Apparently, they can damage the facilities that Tehran has built underground, with their 'bunker busters' but the damage such a strike can do would be of a limited nature.
Even so, if diplomacy fails they would try to cause as much harm as they can. It is, therefore, in the interest of Iran and all its well wishers to resolve the issue amicably with Russia's help.