IAEA report critical of Iran cooperation, setting stage for UN action News
IAEA report critical of Iran cooperation, setting stage for UN action

[JURIST] The International Atomic Energy Agency [official website] released a report Friday that found Iran [JURIST news archive; IAEA issue backgrounder] had resumed previously suspended nuclear activities, raising the possibility that the issue will be referred to the UN Security Council [official website]. The report by IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei [official profile] was critical of Iran's cooperation and transparency regarding its nuclear program and confirmed that Iran had resumed work suspended under an agreement with the EU. The report concluded that the IAEA was "still not in a position to conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran." Even as the report appeared to set the stage for a UN referral, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the EU hoped Iran would rejoin negotiations [Reuters report] on its nuclear programs. The US has supported UN action on the issue and maintained that Iran is seeking to produce nuclear weapons rather than the energy program it claims. Iran said in response to the IAEA report that it would continue to cooperate with the agency [Reuters report] despite some of the criticism in the report. Reuters has more.