BREAKING NEWS ~ IAEA chief reports Iran defying UN on nuclear enrichment News
BREAKING NEWS ~ IAEA chief reports Iran defying UN on nuclear enrichment

[JURIST] Mohammed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency [official website], said Friday that Iran [IAEA materials] has enriched uranium in defiance of a March UN Security Council demand [text] that it immediately suspend its nuclear enrichment program [JURIST report]. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad [official website; BBC profile] announced earlier this month that the country's scientists had successfully enriched uranium to make nuclear fuel [BBC report; JURIST report]. ElBaradei on Friday submitted his report [press release] to the Security Council on Iran's implementation of the safeguards agreement [IAEA materials] associated with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty [PDF text]; the text of the report has not yet been made public.

ElBaradei said that Iran has not cooperated with UN inspectors in their efforts to determine the intent behind Iran's nuclear program. Iran has insisted that its nuclear ambitions are entirely peaceful, though Ahmadinejad said Friday that the country does "not give a damn about [UN] resolutions." BBC News has more.

2:54 PM ET – UK Ambassador to the UN Emyr Jones Parry [official profile] said Friday that the UK, France and Germany are negotiating a draft UN Security Council resolution that would demand Iran immediately stop enriching uranium. The resolution would come under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter [text], which allows the use of force to enforce compliance with the resolution. DPA has more.