Iran ignores deadline... UN ignores responsibility.

Iran, aptly termed by President Bush as an Axis of Evil, continues down its well-trodden path of Western antagonism, Islamic imperialism, and toward the ability to hold Western nations hostage with nuclear weapons.

From Reuters:

Iran failed to stop nuclear work by a Thursday deadline, the U.N. atomic watchdog said, clearing the way to possible sanctions by the Security Council due to Western fears Tehran could be trying to make atom bombs.

A confidential report of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), leaked to Reuters, said Iran had resumed enriching small amounts of uranium in recent days. The agency said lack of Iranian cooperation had blocked its probes.

"Iran has not suspended its enrichment related activities," the report said. "Iran has not addressed the long outstanding verification issues or provided the necessary transparency to remove uncertainties associated with some of its activities."

...Some U.S. allies in the European Union had asked for talks with Tehran to explore its reply instead of resorting quickly to sanctions at the Council, Western diplomats said.

...Moscow and Beijing, keen to protect energy contracts with Tehran and seeing no imminent threat from its nuclear program, have urged diplomacy.

...EU nations, for their part, prefer to find a compromise with Iran rather than isolate one of their biggest oil suppliers.

We won't see broad multilateral sanctions against Iran, at least not anytime soon. Keep an eye on this, as you will see the UN in all its glory: an inept and unwilling organization that is more symbolic than literal.