President George W Bush has called for a peaceful solution to the nuclear stand-off with Iran after a United Nations body said Tehran had ignored an instruction to suspend enrichment of uranium.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran had accelerated efforts to purify uranium for nuclear fuel and failed to provide assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities.
Before the report was published, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country would disregard any UN measure to limit its nuclear project.
"Those who want to prevent Iranians from obtaining their right, should know that we do not give a damn about such resolutions," he said.
Mr Bush has refused to rule out military action to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capacity but he played down such a prospect yesterday.
"I think the diplomatic options are just beginning . . . first thing that has to happen diplomatically for anything to be effective is that we all agree on the goal. And we've agreed on the goal, and that is the Iranians should not have a nuclear weapon, the capacity to make a nuclear weapon, or the knowledge as to how to make a nuclear weapon. And now that we've got the goal in mind, we're working on the tactics," he said.
John Bolton, US ambassador to the United Nations, said Washington would seek council approval of a resolution making UN demands on Iran mandatory under international law. Stressing that Iran represented a different case from Iraq, Mr Bush pointed out that the UN Security Council had passed 16 resolutions condemning Saddam Hussein before the US invaded.
"Wait until we even get one resolution first, before you ask me about the second resolution. The diplomatic process is just beginning. We're forming a strong coalition of like-minded countries that believe that the Iranians should not have a nuclear weapon. And I've told the American people that diplomacy is my first choice, and it should be the first choice of every American president in order to solve a very difficult problem. There are significant differences between Iran and Iraq," he said.
Mr Bush said that, despite the Iranian president's controversial statements, he would not rule out making a deal with him on the nuclear issue.
"That's going to be his choice, eventually. And it's going to be very important for Mr Ahmadinejad to recognise the world is united in our desire, and it's his choice to make," he said.