After nearly half a year of tough negotiations, the United Nations Security Council has endorsed a U.S. sponsored sanctions resolution against Iran over its suspect nuclear program, which the West believes is aimed at developing atomic weapons.

The U.S. and allies had hoped for all 15 members of the council to vote in favor of the resolution, but three countries refused. Turkey and Brazil held up the 10 a.m scheduled vote, as their ambassadors waited for instructions from their capitals on how to vote.

When the Security council session finally started, the Turkish and Brazilian ambassadors announced that they would vote against the resolution, saying their 11th-hour negotiations with Iran aimed at convincing Tehran to comply with the International Atomic Energy Agency obligations should have been given more time. The President of the Security Council then brought the resolution up for the vote. 12 countries voted in favor, Turkey and Brazil voted against, and Lebanon, under heavy Iranian political pressure, abstained. The 12 “yes” votes were enough to approve the resolution.

The resolution imposes an arms embargo against Iran, blacklists entities controlled by the Islamic Republic Shipping Lines, and freezes the assets of certain individuals and organizations tied to Iran’s nuclear program and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. It also calls for tighter restrictions on Iranian banks, asking countries to avoid transactions that could be connected to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.

Click here to see a copy of the resolution.

At the start of negotiations several months ago, the U.S., France, U.K., and Germany had wanted tougher sanctions, including targeting Iran’s energy sector, but Tehran’s major trading partners Russia and China refused to support measures that would affect their economic ties. Responding to the vote, Iranian Ambassador to the U.N., Mohamed Khazaee chided ambassadors in the council who had endorsed the resolution. He insisted that his country has no ambitions to make nuclear bombs. And he said that the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes.