“Indonesia regrets the fact that the situation developed in such a way that the Security Council deemed it necessary to impose additional sanctions on Iran,” Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told reporters.

“Indonesia consistently believes that what must be emphasized is resolving the issue through dialogue and negotiations.”

On Wednesday, the UN Security Council approved a fourth round of sanctions against Iran over a nuclear program the West suspected was aimed at developing atomic weapons, Reuters reported.

All five powers with a veto — the US, Britain, France, China and Russia — were among the 12 who voted in favor for the resolution, while Lebanon abstained and both Turkey and Brazil voted against it.

The draft resolution calls for measures against new Iranian banks abroad if a connection to the nuclear or missile programs is suspected, as well as vigilance over transactions with any Iranian bank, including the central bank.

In addition, another 40 companies will be added to an existing UN blacklist of firms whose assets around the world are to be frozen on suspicion of aiding Iran’s nuclear or missile programs.

Indonesia has put its weight behind Iran, even before the decision was made, as it believes the latter is developing a nuclear program for peaceful purposes.

Marty questioned whether sanctions would bring a conducive situation as the Islamic republic had responded negatively to them.

“Actually, Indonesia believes that the issue is trust deficit between the two sides, not technicalities,” Marty said.

The trust deficit, he said, was evident as a nuclear fuel swap deal between Iran, Brazil and Turkey had clearly raised no confidence in the West.

University of Indonesia Middle East expert Hanief Saha Ghafur and Padjadjaran University international relations expert Dudy Heryadi believe the UN sanctions had been politicized.

Both experts also said the sanctions would be ineffective in deterring Iran from continuing its nuclear program.

“Certainly the decision involved political vested interests,” Dudy told The Jakarta Post.

“The US knows that Iran has no nuclear [weapons]. But they are afraid [Iran] will misuse its uranium enrichment facilities to produce [nuclear] weapons,” he said.

Hanief said sometimes political decisions by the UN Security Council “come earlier” than information from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The IAEA says it has not confirmed that all nuclear material in Iran were for peaceful purposes.

Legislators Tantowi Yahya of the Golkar Party and Ahmad Muzani of the Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) welcomed the government’s stance and urged long-lasting friendship with Iran.

“We support the Foreign Ministry’s act of voicing disagreement with the ineffective sanctions and urging dialogue,” Tantowi told the Post.

“Such sanctions only kill off efforts made by the international community to settle the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue,” he said.

Muzani said the government’s trust in the Iranian government was well placed, saying it was the official source concerning Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Popular

Furniture exporters decry new quarantine rule

EV industry urges govt to reinstate two-wheeler subsidies as market slows

BRICS shows internal rifts as ministers fall short of joint statement