Russia won't block new sanctions against Iran if the international community agrees on such a response to Tehran's new enrichment plans, a Russian diplomatic source said Tuesday.
Russia won't block new sanctions against Iran if the international community agrees on such a response to Tehran 's new enrichment plans, a Russian diplomatic source said Tuesday.

"We don't plan to remain in isolation, if there is a consensus on sanctions. We won't remain to one side," the diplomat told reporters in Moscow on condition of anonymity. "We need to keep such an option in mind and consider the fact of sanctions."

A defiant Iranian government vowed Sunday to build 10 new uranium enrichment plants and to study a plan to process the material to 20% purity, after the U.N. atomic watchdog censured Tehran over its nuclear program.

"This declaration doesn't leave us optimistic, even without it negotiations are difficult with Iran ," the Russian diplomatic source said. He stressed Moscow would "prefer" not to apply sanctions, adding such measures would impact "those who have commercial ties with Iran ."

Russia has the strongest ties with Iran of any major power, and its capacity to provide technical help for the Iranian nuclear program is seen by some analysts as giving it unmatched leverage in Iran .

Russia--which long opposed efforts to ramp up pressure on Iran--joined forces with other world powers to push through a resolution censuring Iran in a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's board Friday.

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