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UN nuclear watchdog chief circulates latest report on Iran

UN nuclear watchdog chief circulates latest report on Iran

IAEA Director General, Mohamed ElBaradei and Board of Governors chairman, Milenko E. Skoknic
The head of the United Nations atomic watchdog has circulated his latest report on Iran’s nuclear programme to the agency’s Board of Directors.

The head of the United Nations atomic watchdog has circulated his latest report on Iran’s nuclear programme to the agency’s Board of Directors.

It covers developments since Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), submitted his last report to the 35-member policymaking body on 26 May.

That report found that “contrary to the decisions of the Security Council, Iran has not suspended its enrichment-related activities, having continued the operation of PFEP [Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant] and FEP [Fuel Enrichment Plant] and the installation of both new cascades and of new generation centrifuges for test purposes.”

The Board will discuss the new publication, entitled “Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement and Relevant Provisions of Security Council Resolutions 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007) and 1803 (2008) in the Islamic Republic of Iran,” when it meets in Vienna next week.

The Board will discuss the report, entitled “Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement and Relevant Provisions of Security Council Resolutions 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007) and 1803 (2008) in the Islamic Republic of Iran,” when it meets in Vienna next week.

The Middle Eastern nation’s nuclear programme – which its officials have stated is for peaceful purposes, but some other countries contend is driven by military ambitions – has been a matter of international concern since the discovery in 2003 that the country had concealed its nuclear activities for 18 years in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

A Security Council resolution in December 2006 banned trade with Iran in all items, materials, equipment, goods and technology which could contribute to the country’s enrichment-related, reprocessing or heavy water-related activities, or to the development of nuclear-weapon delivery systems.

In March 2007, the Council tightened the sanctions by imposing a ban on arms sales and expanding the freeze on assets.

The 15-member body imposed further sanctions this March. These included the inspection of cargo suspected of carrying prohibited goods, the tighter monitoring of financial institutions and the extension of travel bans and asset freezes, over its nuclear programme.