UN nuclear watchdog accepts Iranian decision to sign on to inspections

The United Nations nuclear watchdog agency today accepted Iran's proposal to sign on to an additional protocol to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that allows for unannounced inspections of its facilities.

A UN spokesman told a press briefing in New York that the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had accepted Iran's proposal to sign the protocol. Iran has not yet formally signed.

The spokesman said the Board of Governors would continue its discussions over Iran next Wednesday.

During a Board meeting yesterday at the IAEA's headquarters in Vienna, the Agency's Director-General, Mohamed ElBaradei, said that Iran had breached many of its obligations under the NPT but has taken or is about to take corrective action.

Earlier this year, the IAEA found that Iran had failed to report its efforts to enrich uranium. But Mr. ElBaradei said this week "we have no proof to date that Iran's past undeclared activities have been linked to a nuclear weapons programme."