U.N. watchdog says Iran enriched uranium

updated 7:36 p.m. ET April 28, 2006

VIENNA, Austria - Shortly after Iran’s president said his country “won’t give a damn” about any U.N. sanctions, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday that Iran had enriched uranium and was in defiance of the U.N. Security Council.

In response, Western nations promised Friday to introduce a new Security Council resolution next week.

President Bush said “the world is united and concerned” about what he called Iran’s “desire to have not only a nuclear weapon but the capacity to make a nuclear weapon or the knowledge to make a nuclear weapon.”

The finding that Iran was not in compliance, which was expected, was contained in a report drawn up by IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei.

The eight-page report said that, after more than three years of an IAEA investigation, “the existing gaps in knowledge continue to be a matter of concern.”

“Any progress in that regard requires full transparency and active cooperation by Iran,” it added.

The report said Iran’s claim to have enriched small amounts to a level of 3.6 percent — fuel-grade uranium as opposed to weapons-grade enriched to levels above 90 percent — appeared to be true, according to initial IAEA analysis of samples it took.

In one of the few new developments in the IAEA’s investigation, the report concluded that Iran used undeclared plutonium in conducting small-scale separation experiments.

“The agency cannot exclude the possibility ... that the plutonium analyzed by the agency was derived from source(s) other than declared by Iran,” the report said. Plutonium separation is one of the suspect “dual use” activities that could be used for a weapons program.

Defiance in Iran
Council members said they would act urgently after the latest report from the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, even as Iran remains defiant.

“We are concerned about the continued work that Iran is doing to acquire nuclear weapons capability,” U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said. “We do think there’s a sense of urgency here, and we hope that we can get council action just as soon as possible.”

Britain, France and Germany, which had led efforts for those earlier demands, will introduce a new resolution next week with the intention of discussing it Wednesday, Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones-Parry said.

The United States, France and Britain say that if Tehran does not meet the deadline, they will make the enrichment demand and other conditions compulsory and they want punitive measures to stay on the table.

Morteza Nikoubazl / Reuters Worshippers chant slogans in support of Iran's nuclear program during Friday prayers in Tehran.

But Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said no Security Council resolution could make Iran give up its nuclear program.

“The Iranian nation won’t give a damn about such useless resolutions,” Ahmadinejad told thousands of people in Khorramdareh in northwestern Iran.

“Today, they want to force us to give up our way through threats and sanctions but those who resort to language of coercion should know that nuclear energy is a national demand and by the grace of God, today Iran is a nuclear country,” state-run television quoted him as saying.

China, which wields a veto in the council, said it would oppose tough action in the powerful U.N. body.

“All we want is to work for a diplomatic solution because this region is already complicated, there are a lot of problems in the region, and we should not do anything that would cause the situation (to be) more complicated,” China’s Ambassador Wang Guangya said. Russia also was likely to resist.

Print this Email this Blog this  IM this

MORE FROM MIDEAST & N. AFRICA

Mideast & N. Africa Section Front

Bush finishes Israel trip, heads to Saudi Arabia   Rare interfaith meeting in Muslim heartland Peace deal announced in Lebanon Bin Laden: Palestinian cause fuels war Palestinians mark 1948 uprooting World Blog: As Israelis celebrate, Palestinians mourn Newsweek analysis: Seeking Israel-Syria deal Q & A: What's happening in Lebanon? Mideast & N. Africa Section Front   Add Mideast & N. Africa headlines to your news reader: