[JURIST] UN nuclear inspectors said Monday that Iran has denied them access to an underground nuclear site, and UN officials said that by refusing to allow access Iran may be in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty [PDF text; JURIST news archive] Meanwhile, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei [official website], Iran's supreme leader, said Monday that the country would continue to pursue nuclear technology.

Tuesday is the self-imposed deadline for Iran to respond to a package of commercial incentives offered by the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China aimed at persuading Iran to end its nuclear enrichment program. Iranian officials have previously threatened to reject the package [JURIST report] and have continuously asserted that it is Iran's right to continue with its nuclear program [JURIST report]. UN Security Council Resolution 1696 [PDF text; JURIST report], adopted on July 31, has set an August 31 deadline for Iran to stop its uranium enrichment program, but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad [official profile, English version; BBC profile] has already dismissed the resolution [JURIST report], citing Iran's right to peaceful use of nuclear fuel. AP has more.