Iran calls new UN sanctions “worthless”, vows to continue uranium enrichment

The foreign ministry in Tehran said the third round of sanctions approved by the UN Security Council March 3 was “worthless and politically motivated.” Iran will move ahead with its enrichment program, said the spokesman, in reply to Russian advice to suspend enrichment and study the renewed offer of incentives offered by the six world powers.
The UN Security Council for the first time banned trade with Iran in goods with both civilian and military uses because of its refusal to shelve uranium enrichment. It was carried by 14 council members to nil, with Indonesia abstaining.
debkafile‘s Iranian sources reports the new sanctions are indeed worthless because Tehran anticipated them well in advance.
If anything, Tehran took a sigh of relief Monday for three reasons:
1. This round of sanctions is the Bush administration’s parting shot against Iran before bowing out of office. It marks the dramatic reduction in the penalties faced by Iran since 2007 when a US military option was still on the table.
2. The sanctions are not powerful enough to halt any of Iran’s nuclear and missile projects.
3. Very few Security Council resolutions are ever fully or even partially implemented. This latest round will be no different.