Nuke Watchdog: Efforts Against Iran 'a Failure'

Nuclear weapons watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei says the international community has failed in its effort to halt Iran's drive to gain nuclear weapons.

"We haven't really moved one inch toward addressing the issues," ElBaradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told The Los Angeles Times. "I think so far the policy has been a failure."

Sanctions, as well as economic and security incentives, have been used in an attempt to deter Iran's work on uranium enrichment, but nothing has been successful.

But ElBaradei remains optimistic, stating that the election of Barack Obama has given him "lots of hope" about a possible deal between Tehran and the rest of the world.

On Friday, President George W. Bush said Iran's nuclear ambitions remained a threat to world peace.

"We have made our bottom line clear: For the safety of our people and the peace of the world, America will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon," Bush said.