The US yesterday blamed Europe for alienating Turkey from the west after it became one of only two members of the United Nations Security Council to vote against imposing more sanctions on Iran.
The sanctions resolution, passed by 12 votes to two with one abstention, establishes a partial arms embargo, an inspection regime for Iranian ships and takes steps against companies linked to the Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The sanctions, which also aim to restrict Iran's missile programme, were imposed because of Tehran's continued enrichment of uranium in defiance of earlier resolutions. Iran will also be prohibited from mining uranium in other countries.