IAEA meeting begins, deadlock continues

The IAEA's Wednesday meeting began with both Iran and key nations which oppose its enrichment plans sticking to their positions, reflecting deadlock that has led the IAEA board to call on the UN Security Council to get involved. Europe expressed renewed concern about Iran's nuclear agenda as the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board focused on Tehran's refusal to freeze uranium enrichment and fully cooperate with an IAEA investigation. Austria, which holds the EU presidency, expressed regret at Iran's decisions to withhold "voluntary cooperation" from IAEA inspectors probing 21 years of Iranian nuclear activity - including 18 years of clandestine work and resuming uranium enrichment, which can be part of a process to make nuclear weapons.