Iran agrees on resumption of IAEA nuclear inspections

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Iran agrees on resumption of IAEA nuclear inspections

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Iran has agreed with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to accept nuclear inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog from March 27, a senior Iranian official in charge of nuclear issues said Tuesday in Tokyo.

Iran has agreed on the resumption of the international nuclear inspections on an unconditional basis, Hassan Rouhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, told reporters at the Japan National Press Club.

But the timing of resumption is two weeks later than the IAEA wanted because the initially proposed date coincided with Iran's New Year holidays, Rouhani said. Iran welcomes its new year this Saturday morning local time.

He also said the delay is a sign of protest by Iran over an IAEA resolution adopted last Saturday in Vienna criticizing Iran for failing to disclose full details of its nuclear program and urging it to do so by June.

Rouhani said Iran's nuclear program is solely for peaceful use of atomic energy and that the country believes all nations should take part in and abide by international nuclear nonproliferation pacts.

''Iran is working on nuclear development for peaceful use. Iran has never wanted to create nuclear weapons and does not intend to do so,'' Rouhani said through a Persian-Japanese interpreter.

He said Iran has signed the IAEA's additional protocol, which gives the agency authority to conduct unrestricted nuclear inspections, and suspended its uranium enrichment program as part of efforts to gain confidence of the international community.

The United States, however, suspects Iran is secretly developing nuclear arms and is demanding full disclosure of its sensitive nuclear programs.

In its resolution, the IAEA expresses disappointment that it discovered P-2 centrifuge designs in Iran even though they were not included in the country's disclosure last year of its nuclear activities.

The inspection starting March 27 is expected to shed light on the P-2 centrifuge designs as well as the question on the IAEA's discovery in Iran of traces of highly enriched uranium that could be weapons-grade.

Rouhani reiterated Tehran's claims that the uranium was believed to have come attached on used centrifuge parts that it imported through an intermediary.

Source: agencies

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