Iran Will Face UN Security Council

The five permanent Security Council members have directed the International Atomic Energy Agency to remand Iran's case to them. From Reuters:

The foreign ministers from China, Russia, the United States, France and Britain as well as Germany and the European Union, said after a dinner in London that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) must decide to bring Iran's case before the Council when the agency meets on Thursday in Vienna.

A senior U.S. official said the statement meant Russia and China were now on board with the United States and the European powers that there must be strong action taken by the IAEA in Vienna to discourage Tehran from pursuing atomic research which could enable the country to build a nuclear bomb.

"This is the most powerful message we could have hoped for," said a senior U.S. official, who said the discussions over dinner had been animated.

Not, of course, that anything's going to happen right away:

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the ministers shared serious concerns about Iran's nuclear programs and agreed that an extensive period of "confidence-building" was required from Iran.

The Council could ultimately impose sanctions against Iran but there are many steps before this could happen.

The question is, how will Ahmanidejad and the mullahs react? And will the UN be any better at enforcing its edicts than it was with Saddam Hussein?

Also posted at The Jawa Report and Vince Aut Morire.