Iran is condemning the United Nations Security Council for imposing new sanctions on Tehran for its controversial nuclear program.

Mohammad Ali Hosseini (File Photo)

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Tuesday that the U.N. resolution is "unacceptable."

The Security Council approved a resolution Monday tightening existing sanctions on trade, and on the travel and assets of people involved in Tehran's nuclear and missile programs.

The sanctions were imposed because of concerns Iran may be developing nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful.

Iran's U.N. ambassador, Mohammad Khazaee, dismissed the Security Council as a tool of the national foreign policy of a few countries.

But the Russian Foreign Ministry Tuesday said the Security Council's resolution is a serious political signal to Tehran about its need to cooperate with the Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The ministry said the resolution is a compromise that does not include hardline political and economic policies. Russia had said earlier it would support the U.N. resolution only if it did not hurt Iran's economy. Russia is helping Iran build a nuclear power station at Bushehr.

Meanwhile, diplomats said Tuesday that Western powers have abandoned a bid to pass a separate IAEA resolution against Iran because it would not add anything new to the U.N. sanctions.

The IAEA is discussing Iran this week at a meeting in Vienna. On Monday, IAEA Chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Iran's nuclear activities remain a concern, although nothing to date suggests Tehran has illicitly used nuclear material.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.