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IAEA Chief Denies EU, U.S. Requests For New Iran Report

23 January 2006 -- The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog reportedly has rejected EU and U.S. requests for a broad report on Iran's disputed nuclear program before an emergency meeting on the crisis.

Reuters quoted a text it obtained in which Mohammad el-Baradei -- the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) -- responds to the EU and U.S. request.

El-Baradei is quoted as saying he needs more time to prepare such a report on Iran. He also is quoted as saying he has given Iran until a regularly scheduled 6 March IAEA board session to answer questions about its nuclear program.

A two-day emergency meeting of the IAEA's board of governors begins on 2 February. The EU is expected to try to get a resolution passed that refers Tehran to the UN Security Council.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator today threatened to resume uranium enrichment on an "industrial scale" if the dispute is referred to the UN Security Council.

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful civilian purposes. The U.S., Britain, France, Germany, and some others have expressed concern that Iran may be trying to develop nuclear weapons.

(compiled from agency reports)

Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org