Iran defies deadline to halt atom work: U.N. watchdog

Let me summarize. Blah, Blah, Blah, more negotiations, Blah, Blah, a madman will have nukes and the U.N. will continue meaningless sanctions, Blah, Blah, Blah, Iran doesn't care because the U.N. is useless.

IYahoo! News

The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said on Thursday Iran had failed to meet a February 21 deadline to suspend enrichment of uranium, exposing Tehran to possible new sanctions over concerns it seeks to produce an atomic bomb.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report Iran had installed two cascades, or networks, of 164 centrifuges in its underground Natanz enrichment plant with another two cascades close to completion.

This amounted to an effort to escalate research-level enrichment of nuclear fuel into "industrial scale" production.

"Iran has not suspended its enrichment-related activities," said the confidential IAEA report, obtained by Reuters.

By ignoring the deadline, Tehran reaffirmed its rejection of a mid-2006 offer by six world powers of talks on trade benefits provided it halted enrichment, a process that can yield nuclear power plant fuel or bombs.

The U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions on Iran in a December 23 resolution that banned transfers of atomic technology and know-how to Iran. The resolution authorizes the council to take further measures if Iran flouted the deadline.

Additional penalties might include a travel ban on senior Iranian officials and restrictions on non-nuclear business.

The Islamic Republic, which says its nuclear fuel program is designed only to produce electricity, remained defiant.

"Regarding the suspension mentioned in the report, because such a demand has no legal basis and is against international treaties, naturally, it could not be accepted by Iran," Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, told Reuters in Tehran.

He said the report showed the best way to resolve the dispute was to return to talks.