IAEA confirms nuclear Iran on right track

IAEA confirms nuclear Iran on right track
Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:52:57 GMT
IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei
The IAEA says it has been able to 'verify the non-diversion' of Iran's nuclear work and called for increased cooperation with the agency.

"The agency has been able to continue to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran," read the latest International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Iran's nuclear activities.

The report, a copy of which was obtained by Press TV, was presented to the 35 board members of the agency on Monday.

The US, Israel and their European allies have alleged that Iran, a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), seeks nuclear weaponry.

The IAEA said it has failed to discover any 'components of a nuclear weapon' or 'related nuclear physics studies' in Iran.

Iran says it is entitled to civilian nuclear technology and its nuclear activities are solely directed at generating electricity for its growing population.

According to the Monday report, all nuclear material in Iran 'remain under agency (IAEA) containment and surveillance'.

The UN nuclear watchdog confirmed that it had conducted 'seventeen unannounced inspections' at the country's nuclear plants, where Iran has managed to enrich uranium-235 to a level 'less than 5 percent'.

The rate is consistent with the construction of a nuclear power plant. Nuclear arms production, however, requires an enrichment level of above 90 percent.

Regarding the 'alleged studies' of weaponization that Western countries attribute to Tehran, the IAEA declared it has not been able to make any 'substantive progress'.

Iran says the accusations that the country has been involved with 'green salt project, high explosives testing, and the missile re-entry vehicle project' have been based on 'forged' documents and 'fabricated' data.

Iran has asked the IAEA to provide the country with copies of the documents concerning the 'alleged studies'. The agency, however, says it is not 'in a position' to do so.

'As a matter of transparency', the UN body urged Tehran to provide the agency with 'access to documents, information, and personnel' to confirm that that these activities were not nuclear related.

Following the release of the report, Iran's envoy to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh, told Press TV that Tehran is prepared to 'continue its cooperation with the agency'.

He added that Iran would answer to 'remaining questions' should the IAEA adopt a logical approach toward Iran's nuclear case.

He said even in ten years, should Iran's cooperation with the agency continue, the UN nuclear watchdog would deliver the same message that the program is 'exclusively' aimed at peaceful purposes.

Soltaniyeh concluded that Iran would not accept any demands beyond its legal obligations and particularly outside the work plan, which has already been implemented.

CS/MD/HGH