Iran's contempt for international opinion could not be plainer. The government in Tehran has flatly ignored the Feb. 21 deadline set by the United Nations Security Council to suspend its uranium-enrichment program. The burden is now on those who desire a multilateral order based on respect for international law: If they do not punish Iran's defiance, then they are contributing to the erosion of the very institutions they claim to support.
Despite Tehran's insistence that its nuclear energy program is intended for civilian purposes, suspicions have steadily grown about its nuclear ambitions. First, there was the discovery of secret nuclear facilities, then the detection of highly enriched uranium -- inconsistent with the type needed for energy production -- on processing equipment, and most recently, the discovery of a weapon design on a laptop computer. Iran's explanation for each revelation has only raised more questions.
All the while, Iran has engaged in negotiations with three European countries -- Britain, France and Germany -- to devise a diplomatic solution to the issues raised by these mysteries, but no progress has been made. In fact, international access to its nuclear facilities has been diminishing.