The United Nations continues to get stonewalled by Iran, and intends to commit the situation to further study.  In the meantime, there’s good evidence that Iran’s nuclear program is more than just for "peaceful purposes".

Iran is continuing to stall on UN investigation into its disputed nuclear programme, refusing to provide access to documentation, individuals or sites which could reveal the true nature of its activities, the UN atomic watchdog said Monday.

Furthermore, the Islamic republic is defying international demands to suspend uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to make the fissile material for an atomic bomb, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

The United States warned Iran could now face possible new sanctions in the wake of the IAEA’s findings.

The agency complained that it was making little headway in its investigation into allegations that Tehran had, in the past, been involved in studies to make a nuclear warhead.

The IAEA "regrettably has not been able to make any substantive progress on the alleged studies and other associated key remaining issues which remain of serious concern," said the restricted report, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.

The report, circulated to members of the IAEA’s board of governors on Monday, was scheduled to be discussed at a board meeting next week.

"On this particular issue, we’ve arrived at a gridlock," a senior official close to the IAEA said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The so-called "alleged studies" suggest Iran may have been trying to develop a nuclear warhead, convert uranium and test high explosives and a missile re-entry vehicle.

The information collected by IAEA from a wide number of sources was "of such a quality that Iran has to take it seriously" and had to provide a "substantive response," a UN official said.

"These studies point to real people, real organisation," the official said.

But Iran has so far done little to disprove the allegations, merely dismissing the evidence as "forged" and "fabricated".

Iran knows that all they have to do is not return the UN’s phone calls and toss the sternly worded letters and just do what they want.  They have enough friends in the region, notably Russia, that they can weather the sanctions.  Or they can give just a little in exchange and keep on keepin’ on.

Scolding rouge states doesn’t work, as much as we wish it would.

Filed under: IranMiddle EastUnited Nations

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