Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief
Mohamed ElBaradei sent his report on Iran's compliance with demands
that it halt sensitive nuclear fuel work, to the 35-nation Board of
Governors as well as to the UN Security Council, diplomats at IAEA
told Xinhua on Thursday.
ElBaradei said in his report that Iran had refused to suspend
its uranium-enrichment related activities as demanded by the UN
Security Council.
In the eagerly awaited report, ElBaradei also said that due to
the Islamic republic's lack of cooperation, IAEA was still unable
to make further progress in its efforts to verify fully the past
development of Iran's nuclear program.
Furthermore, the report confirmed that Iran had already
installed two cascades of 164 centrifuges in its Natanz enrichment
plant, to expand research-level enrichment into industrial scale,
and it is said another two cascades were close to completion in
Iran.
"It has also continued with the construction of the Fuel
Enrichment Plant, including installation of cascades, and has
transferred UF-6 to the plant," said the report.
And it also said that without more cooperation and transparency
from the Islamic republic, the IAEA will be unlikely to realize the
peaceful goal in the future.
As soon as received the widely expected report, the United
States voiced disappointment on Thursday, and White House national
security spokesman Gordon Johndroe said "we are disappointed that
Iran has not complied with resolution 1737."
Earlier in the day exactly before the report was released, UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said during his official visit in
Vienna that he was "deeply concerned that the Iranian government
did not meet the deadline set by the Security Council."
And he emphasized that "the Iranian government should fully
cooperate with the Security Council" as soon as possible.
Moreover, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday
that the international community would continue to press Iran to
stop its nuclear activities.
"We reconfirmed that we will use our available channels and the
Security Council to try and achieve that goal," Rice was quoted
assaying after a breakfast meeting in Berlin with the foreign
ministers of Germany and Russia and EU foreign policy chief Javier
Solana.
However, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pledged on
Wednesday that his country would continue its nuclear program, in
defiance to the due UN deadline for Tehran to suspend its uranium
enrichment.
"The enemy is making a big mistake if it thinks it can thwart
the will of the Iranian nation to achieve the peaceful use of
nuclear technology," Ahmadinejad was quoted by state TV's Web site
as saying Wednesday ahead of the 60-day deadline.
The Security Council Resolution 1737 adopted last December 23
gave the Islamic republic 60-day deadline to halt enrichment or
face additional measures, such as further financial sanctions and
tougher travel ban.
(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2007)
