Brussels, 01/08/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the UN Security Council passed a resolution giving Iran a month to suspend uranium enrichment, or to face the possibility of sanctions. The Security Council requires that Iran suspend all uranium enrichment and treatment, including research and development, and that this cessation must be verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the text stresses. Proposed by the EU3 (Germany, France and the United Kingdom) and passed by 14 votes to 1 (Qatar voted against), Resolution 1696 also calls on IAEA Director General Mohammed El Baradei to submit, by 31 August, a report indicating whether or not Tehran has complied with the Security Council's requirements. While invoking Article 40 of Chapter VII of the UN Charter, who provides for “provisional measures” to be taken, the Security Council, in expectation of an Iranian refusal, is considering recourse to Article 41, which would allow it to adopt “appropriate measures … to persuade Iran to comply with the Resolution”. According to Article 41, the Council can decide on measures which do not imply armed force, but which can include the full or partial suspension of economic and diplomatic relations. Such measures would require further Security Council decisions, says Resolution 1696, which, with this form of words, was sufficient to satisfy Russia and China, which both oppose automatic recourse to sanctions. Tehran plans to respond to the Security Council on 22 August and has indicated that the conflict in Lebanon could have an effect on its response to the incentives package (offer of political, technological and trade cooperation) from the “Six” (the five permanent members of the Security Council, along with Germany). Iranian foreign office spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi warned on Sunday, however, that this offer would no longer be on the agenda if Resolution 1696 was adopted.