The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog today expressed U.S. concerns over what he described as “troubling developments” in Iran’s nuclear program. Joseph Macmanus, Washington’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, called for new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to take steps to ease international concerns surrounding Tehran’s program. Macmanus, who was speaking in Vienna at IAEA’s Board of Governors meeting, slammed Tehran for refusing to comply with international calls – expressed among others by the U.N. Security Council and the IAEA – to increase transparency around Iran’s atomic work.

“In fact, Iran continues taking actions in direct contravention of its obligations to expand and deepen these prohibited programmes,” Macmanus told the closed-door quarterly gathering in Vienna.

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) reiterated the bloc’s intentions to increase diplomatic pressure on the Islamic republic should Tehran continue to stonewall U.N. nuclear inspectors.

In a statement Wednesday, the EU told the U.N nuclear agency’s 35-nation board that “action” was possible if Iran does not cooperate by November. That’s diplomatic code for renewed referral to the U.N. Security Council, potentially opening the path to new sanctions.

Newly inaugurated Iranian President Hassan Rouhani yesterday declared that Iran “will not give up one iota of its absolute rights” on the nuclear issue, a statement in line with declarations made by advisors to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to the effect that Rouhani’s government will follow the same strategic line as his predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

[Photo: IAEA Imagebank / Flickr]