Sunday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 2.5.2005:

Iran Referred to the UN Security Council.

• Telegraph reported that the IAEA board of governors has voted 27 to three to report Iran to the UN Security Council.
• The IAEA published the text of the resolution.
  

Iran Responds: No to Russia, Yes to Enrichment, then again no.

• Guardian reported that a senior Iranian official said a proposal to enrich Iranian uranium in Russia is dead.
• Reuters reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad issued an order to Iran's Atomic Energy Organization to restart full-scale uranium enrichment, according to his website. However the Iranian presidential office denies the report.

American Leaders Prepare to Put the Pressure on Iran.

• The Guardian reported that President Bush said Saturday's vote to send Iran's nuclear case before the U.N. Security Council sends a clear message and that "the regime's continued defiance only further isolates Iran from the rest of the world and undermines the Iranian people's aspirations for a better life.''
• The New York Times reported that Donald H. Rumsfeld urged the world to work for a ''diplomatic solution'' to halt Iran's nuclear program, but cut out of his statement an important reference to the Iranian people.
• Reuters reported that U.S. Senator John McCain urged the world to impose economic and other sanctions on Iran, bypassing the United Nations if needed.
• Reuters reported that Richard Perle said on Saturday the West should not make the mistake of waiting too long to use military force if Iran comes close to getting an atomic weapon.

China Prepares to Take the Pressure off Iran.

• Hindustan Times reported that the Chinese ambassador to the UN said China would never support sanctions against Iran as a "matter of principle."
  

Germany puts its own unique pressure on Iran,

• Times Online reported that German chancellor, Angela Merkel, compared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran to Adolf Hitler.

Here are a few other news items you may have missed.

• The Australian reported that Iran secretly tested a new surface-to-surface missile and it was successful.
• Reuters reported that Iran will press on with a contentious gas pipeline to Pakistan even if India does not meet a May deadline to join the project.
• The American Enterprise Institute hosted a panel discussion with Sen Brownback, Pat Clawson, Stephen G. Rademaker, George Perkovich and Danielle Pletka: Next Steps: The Iranian Threat. See the video.