Iran Blocks UN Inspectors

The Iranian Students' News Agency earlier quoted Aleaddin Borujerdi, the head of the parliament's National Security Committee, as saying the decision has been officially announced to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear watchdog, which carries out routine checks of Iran's nuclear facilities.

After the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program in December, parliament voted to "revise its cooperation" with the IAEA.

EU Urges Iran Sanctions Compliance

Also today, the European Union has called on all countries to enforce limited UN sanctions against Iran. The Security Council approved the sanctions on December 23 in an effort to force Tehran back to the negotiating table to discuss its nuclear program.

In a declaration today, EU foreign ministers said the sanctions are targeted against the "most sensitive parts" of the Iranian nuclear and missile programs.

(AFP, Reuters, AP)

The Proliferation Threat

The Arak heavy-water plant in central Iran (Fars)

BENDING THE RULES. Henry Sokolski, executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, told an RFE/RL-Radio Free Asia briefing on January 9 that the West is hamstrung in dealing with Iran and North Korea because of the way it has interpreted the international nonproliferation regime to benefit friendly countries like India and Japan.

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Listen to the entire briefing (about 90 minutes):
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