Wednesday, May 23, 2007
A report by the IAEA says that Iran continues to defy the United Nations. The report which was prepared as the 60-day deadline in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747 arrives. Although the report is not yet published, both Reuters and BBC News have obtained copies. Here are some excerpts:
| “ | Iran has not suspended its enrichment-related activities. Iran has continued with the operation of their pilot fuel enrichment plant. | ” |
| “ | Unless Iran addresses long-outstanding verification issues, and implements … required transparency measures, the Agency will not be able to fully reconstruct the history of Iran’s nuclear program and provide assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran or about the exclusively peaceful nature of that program. | ” |
In response to the report, the United States says that it will seek further UN sanctions on Iran, calling the report “a laundry list of Iran’s continued defiance of the international community and shows that Iran’s leaders are only furthering the isolation of the Iranian people,” said Gordon Johndroe, Press Secretary of the National Security Council.
“The government in Iran is not in compliance with the resolutions of the Security Council. What we have done so far is not enough. More needs to be done. The time has come to look at additional pressure… to bring about a change in Iranian calculations,” said Zalmay Khalilzad, the US Ambassador to the UN.
Iran has stated that it is not “hindering” the IAEA’s continuing inspections, and it will continue their cooperation with the IAEA.