Talks option still on

Contrary to belief that Iran's nuclear fuel swap deal with Brazil and Turkey may have slowed the pace of adopting fresh sanctions, a draft resolution on precisely such a move was circulated by the United Nations Security Council on May 18.

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - plus Germany (P5+1) have conducted many rounds of talks on the content of the draft resolution.

Yet, thanks to efforts by China and Russia, the current draft has toned down some tough earlier provisions. The new draft disapproves of the use of force and the threat to use force. It also includes Iran's right to conduct international trade.