John Murphy (Lowe, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Minister, will you advise the House of steps taken by the Australian government to enforce new United Nations Security Council sanctions against Iran. What other measures is Australia taking?

Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question, dealing as it does with potentially the most difficult international peace and security issue that the international community will be confronted with over the next 12 to 18 months. On 9 June the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 1929 imposing new sanctions against Iran. Australia welcomed that resolution, which reflected the international community’s continuing concern about Iran’s nuclear program and its ongoing failure to be in compliance with its international obligations. Australia together with the international community has repeatedly called on Iran to conduct itself in accordance with International Atomic Energy Agency resolutions and to comply with Security Council resolutions. Indeed, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s two most recent reports in February and May this year both found that Iran continues to enrich uranium in breach of its international obligations and that it has not provided either the necessary evidence or the necessary cooperation to persuade the IAEA that its program is exclusively for peaceful purposes. Australia also shares the Security Council’s desire for a negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, which of course requires Iran to change its policy. We continue to urge Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment programs. Despite these overtures, we are disappointed that Iran has not reversed its path. Indeed, very many people analyse that as a path of confrontation with the international community.

Security Council resolution 1929 strengthens obligations on nation states to prevent the supply to Iran of goods and services that could contribute to Iran’s nuclear industry—a proliferation sensitive nuclear industry—and also to its missile delivery technology and programs. As well, it imposes a heavy obligation on the part of nation states to prevent the supply of military equipment and related services to Iran. The resolution also targets Iran’s transport and financial sectors as well as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in response to the corps’ role in Iran’s nuclear activities and the development of a weapons system. The resolution includes new financial sanctions against 41 individuals and entities in Iran. Australia’s United Nations enforcement sanctions law will see that those financial sanctions have immediate effect and Australia will implement the other aspects of the resolution as expeditiously as possible.

To reinforce those measures, earlier today I announced that Australia will impose additional autonomous sanctions against one individual and two organisations that assist Iran in its violation of its obligations under Security Council resolutions. Australia has imposed autonomous sanctions against Iran since October 2008 and today’s announcement will now bring to a total of 21 individuals and 20 organisations subject to Australia’s autonomous sanctions. Those additional organisations are Bank Mellat and the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines. The individual is General Rostam Qasemi, the commander of Khatem ol-Anbiya Construction Organisation, a company owned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is expressly referred to in resolution 1929 and already covered by our autonomous sanctions.

We are taking these additional measures to ensure that Australia is at the forefront of those countries seeking to put pressure on Iran to change its policy in this area. These additional autonomous sanctions combined with our already rigorous implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, including our proposed implementation of resolution 1929, will continue to ensure that our concern is backed up by action and that our concern matches that of the international community. As I said in my opening remarks, this is potentially the single, biggest peace and security challenge which the international community faces. Australia again calls on Iran to conduct itself in accordance with its international legal obligations and to seek to resolve this matter through a change of policy as quickly as possible.