Iran not fully cooperating with IAEA

New York: As major world powers debate how to deal with Iran's defiance of the UNSC's demand to end uranium enrichment, the IAEA has once again given an adverse report that Tehran is not fully cooperating with its inspectors in some of the crucial areas.

Addressing the agency's Board of Governors in Vienna yesterday, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamed Elbaradei expressed "serious concern" that lack of Iranian cooperation is hampering their efforts to determine whether the country's nuclear programme has peaceful or military aims.

In a report two weeks ago to the Security Council, El Baradei had said Iran had neither suspended its nuclear enrichment-related activities nor complied with all of its obligations under international non-proliferation agreements.

He told the Board on Monday that while all the nuclear material declared by Iran to the Agency has been accounted for and inspectors have found little build-up of enrichment capacity at Natanz, the Agency was not able to assess fully the country's enrichment-related research and development activities, including the possible production of centrifuges and related equipment.

"Because of this, and the lack of readiness of Iran to resolve these issues, the Agency is unable to make further progress in its efforts to provide assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran," said El Baradei. "This continues to be a matter of serious concern."

El Baradei reported that Iran has supplied the IAEA with access to nuclear material and facilities, as well as the required reports, but that it continues to refuse access to some operating records at an enrichment plant.

Six world powers have offered Iran negotiations on a package of trade and other benefits if it would suspend uranium enrichment, which makes nuclear reactor fuel but also atom bomb material.

Iran has repeatedly asserted that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes and it is enriching uranium for its power plants. But Western nations suspect that Tehran's aim is to produce nuclear weapons.

Tehran says it has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and had rejected the Council's demand that it end its enrichment activities by August 31 last.

Uranium can be used in power plants as also making nuclear weapons depending on the degree of enrichment.