By Paul Simao
PRETORIA (Reuters) - A one-month delay to consider a new U.N. Security Council draft resolution that would punish Iran for moving ahead with its nuclear programme would not be a disaster, a South African official said on Thursday.
The Security Council's five permanent members -- the United States, Britain, Russia, China and France -- along with Germany have circulated a draft that would toughen existing sanctions on Iran. The text calls for asset freezes and travel bans on specific Iranian officials.
Ambassadors from the group, known as the P5+1, will meet representatives of South Africa -- a non-permanent member of the Security Council -- on Thursday to discuss the proposals. South Africa has not taken an official position on imposing new sanctions against Iran.
"One-month (delay) cannot cause a nuclear disaster, but I don't know what the P5+1 have in their minds," George Nene, head of multilateral affairs in South Africa's foreign ministry, told reporters in the South African capital Pretoria.
He did not say whether South Africa would propose the delay in the meeting in New York.
Council diplomats have said it will be weeks before the U.N. Security Council is ready to vote on the new round of sanctions, which have been described by the United States as punitive but in less harsh terms by diplomats from other countries.
South Africa is an important member of the Non-Aligned Movement, a bloc of developing countries that has resisted the idea of forcing Iran to halt uranium enrichment. They worry that wealthier countries want a monopoly on enriching uranium fuel.
Western powers fear that oil-rich Iran's nuclear programme is aimed at building atomic weapons. Iranian leaders deny the charge, saying the programme is designed to generate electricity and will continue regardless of any new sanctions.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to deliver a report at the end of February or in early March after talks with Tehran over the country's nuclear work, which has prompted calls for the Council to hold off on the resolution.
South Africa and other countries have expressed concerns that taking a tough line on Iran at this stage could derail what they see as positive signs in the negotiations between the IAEA and Tehran.
"South Africa hopes no party will take action that will undermine the progress that has been made in the context of the IAEA," Nene said.
