Western, Iranian coverage follows IAEA criticism

A day after the U.N. atomic watchdog criticized Iran for defying an ultimatum, the Iranian president says his country is sticking to its course. Here are glimpses of the early coverage, including how Iran is reporting on itself:

The Associated Press: "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed Friday that Iran would defend its nuclear program and described his country as a potential role model for others trying to develop advanced technology."

Reuters: "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday Iran should not show weakness over its nuclear program, after Tehran ignored a U.N. deadline to stop nuclear work which the West says will be used to make atom bombs."

IRNA, the state-run Iranian news agency: "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here on Thursday that access to nuclear knowhow was key to national development and preservation of Iranian civilization."

The state news outlet's site currently leads not with the Ahmadinejad story but with nuclear comments from another official. The opening sentence takes a decidedly different tone: "Chairman of the State Expediency Council Hojjatoleslam Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Friday reassured the West that Iran was not seeking to build a nuclear bomb. "

Also, as On Deadline noted a couple posts ago, a number of major U.S. dailies lead today with coverage of the International Atomic Energy Agency's report or otherwise play it prominently.

The Washington Post: "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Iran on Thursday that it will face further punishment and isolation if it forges ahead with efforts to develop a uranium-enrichment program, but she said the United States and other powers are prepared to restart talks aimed at ending the standoff if Iran suspends its most controversial nuclear activities."

The New York Times, in the story's second paragraph, noting an insider reaction: "In a mild surprise to outside experts, the nuclear agency reported that Iran was now operating or about to switch on roughly 1,000 centrifuges, the high-speed devices that enrich uranium, at its nuclear facility at Natanz. "

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