Continued Non-Compliance From Iran

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice says the latest report by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency again highlights Iran's failure to comply with its international nuclear obligations and its violations of several UN Security Council resolutions.

Among those violations are Iran's continuing enrichment and heavy water-related activities; the government's refusal to respond substantively to information regarding possible military dimensions to its nuclear program; and, if implemented, the reported installation of centrifuges at an underground facility near the city of Qom, which Ambassador Rice called "unacceptable" and "a clear provocation."

"We condemn Iran's persistent refusal to fulfill its international nuclear obligations," Ms. Rice said. "Iran's actions underscore the continuing necessity of full enforcement of sanctions by the international community in order to motivate Iran to comply with those obligations and to deny Iran the ability to advance in its proscribed programs."

Iran hid its nuclear program for almost two decades, until it was discovered in 2002. Since then, the United Nations has adopted six Security Council resolutions and imposed Chapter VII sanctions on Iran in an attempt to induce the regime to live up to its nuclear obligations.

Ambassador Rice stressed that President Barack Obama "remains dedicated to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons." She said the U.S. is committed to a dual-track policy of applying pressure in pursuit of a diplomatic resolution of international concerns regarding Iran's nuclear activities.

The international community, said Ambassador Rice, has made "important progress in strengthening our implementation and enforcement of UN sanctions on Iran. We must redouble our efforts to sharpen the choice for Iran's leaders to abandon their dangerous course."