Iran will speed up cooperation on nuclear issues, UN watchdog says
The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency has received word that Iran will accelerate its cooperation on nuclear issues, the agency said today.
In a dispatch from its Vienna headquarters, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said its Director-General, Mohamed ElBaradei, met in Tehran with Hassan Rohani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
"Following their discussions, Dr. ElBaradei indicated that he had received assurances that Iran would accelerate its cooperation with the IAEA, and to that end, provide without delay information and necessary clarification on all outstanding questions regarding Iran's nuclear programme," the agency said.
Dr. ElBaradei said that the Iranian Government had expressed its readiness to sign an Additional Protocol to Iran's nuclear safeguards agreement with the IAEA. He added that a team of IAEA experts would visit Iran this Saturday and Sunday to give Iranian authorities any necessary clarifications with regard to the Additional Protocol.
Following Dr. ElBaradei's visit, teams of IAEA inspectors will continue their verification work in Iran over the next two weeks, the agency said.
The IAEA first raised concerns publicly about Iran's nuclear programme in June when it said the country had failed to report certain nuclear material and activities as required by the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, of which it is a member. If Iran fails to meet its obligations the agency could refer the matter to the UN Security Council for possible diplomatic or economic sanctions against Tehran.
A resolution passed last month by the IAEA Board of Governors expressed "grave concern" and set a 31 October deadline for Iran to provide more information, noting that environmental sampling at one site revealed the presence of two types of highly enriched uranium. IAEA inspectors also found considerable modifications to the premises of the Kalaye Electric Company that may have an impact on the accuracy of environmental sampling.
Iran says the samplings came from equipment that had been contaminated with highly enriched uranium particles before it was imported.