DHAKA: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has voted unanimously to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea in response to its recent ballistic missile tests, reports BBC.

The US-drafted resolution includes measures to reduce the nation's petrol imports by up to 90%.

China and Russia, North Korea's main trading partners, voted in favor of the resolution.

The country is already subject to a raft of sanctions from the US, the UN and the EU.

Washington has been imposing sanctions on Pyongyang since 2008, freezing the assets of individuals and companies linked to its nuclear program and banning the export of goods and services to the country.

The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said the sanctions sent an "unambiguous message to Pyongyang that further defiance will invite further punishments and isolation".

US President Donald Trump welcomed the resolution. He tweeted the world wanted "peace, not death".

Chinese envoy Wu Haitao said the vote "reflects the unanimous position of the international community" on the issue of North Korea's weapons program.

The Chinese foreign ministry described the situation on the peninsula as "complex and sensitive" and called on all sides to "exercise restraint and make active efforts to ease tensions".

Tensions have risen this year over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, which it has pursued despite pressure from world powers to stop.

Last month, the US unveiled fresh sanctions against North Korea which it said were designed to limit the funding for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The measures targeted North Korean shipping operations and Chinese companies that trade with Pyongyang. It also restricted oil imports and banned textile exports - an attempt to starve the North of fuel and income for its weapons programs.

The US has been imposing sanctions on North Korea for more than a decade with little success. In fact, North Korea has said fresh sanctions will only make it accelerate its nuclear program.

BDST: 1010 HRS, DEC 23, 2017
SI