Thursday, November 22, 2007

IAEA debates Iran nuclear report

BBC

The governing board of the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, is meeting to discuss its latest report on Iran.

The report found that Iran is still enriching uranium in defiance of the UN but that Tehran was also providing more answers about its past nuclear work.

Some Western countries, led by the US, are pushing for tougher sanctions against Iran.

On Thursday Iran said it was open to more talks but would not respond to threats of force.

The discussions at the International Atomic Energy Agency's headquarters in Vienna should provide an indication of where its 35 member-states stand on the issue of further sanctions.

The US and its European allies on the permanent UN Security Council - France and Britain - fear Tehran is enriching uranium in order to build nuclear weapons and are pushing for a third round of UN sanctions.

Russia and China, the other two permanent members of the Security Council, are reluctant to pursue sanctions, saying further negotiations are needed.

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