Iran has answered important questions about its nuclear program, but has yet to resolve the fundamental issue of whether it sought nuclear weapons, the United Nations atomic energy watchdog said on Thursday night reports the Financial Times.
In a mixed report – seized upon by the US as proof that more UN sanctions are needed to increase pressure on Tehran – the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran’s co-operation on a new work plan to reveal details of its past behavior had been “reactive rather than proactive”.
The agency added that Tehran had finally come forward with long-sought information about aspects of the program, including procurement and research, so giving a clearer picture of how it acquired nuclear technology from the AQ Khan network operating out of Pakistan in the 1980s and 1990s.
But the IAEA said “the agency’s knowledge about Iran’s current nuclear program is diminishing”, because of its inspectors’ limited access to Iranian sites. The agency remains unable “to draw conclusions about the original underlying nature of parts of the program”.
The report was commissioned two months ago to break an impasse at the UN, where the US and European Union are seeking to win support from China and Russia for a third round of sanctions against Iran. A report by Mr. Solana, EU foreign policy chief, on attempts to convince Iran to suspend uranium enrichment, in line with UN Security Council demands, is due within days. Uranium enrichment can produce both nuclear fuel and weapons grade material.
Read it here: Iran Fails to Resolve Nuclear Questions