IRAN: Iran denied reports yesterday that it hindered visiting UN nuclear inspectors this week by prohibiting their access to the country's nuclear facilities. This is amid allegations that Tehran is secretly developing atomic weapons.
A spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors' visit had not been hampered.
"Based on the IAEA's letter which was sent to us, they visited all the places that were mentioned in the letter, and they left the country based on the schedule which was mentioned in the letter," Mr Khalil Mousavi told Reuters.
According to a report yesterday in the Wall Street Journal's European edition, the IAEA inspectors left Iran abruptly on Wednesday after Iranian officials refused to let them visit the Kalaye Electric Company facility in Tehran.
A source familiar with the inspections said the inspectors left Iran on schedule, but confirmed they had been refused the opportunity to take environmental samples at Kalaye.
"The inspectors did not leave abruptly, but they were not allowed the chance to take environmental samples at Kalaye. Maybe they would have stayed longer if they could have."
In a confidential report obtained by Reuters in Vienna last week, the IAEA said it had requested permission to take samples at a workshop at Kalaye where Iran had admitted to constructing components for centrifuges designed for enriching uranium. Highly-enriched uranium is arms-grade material which can be used in nuclear weapons.
Diplomats have said they suspect Iran has tested its centrifuges with nuclear material without informing the IAEA, which could be interpreted as a violation of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
"Iran was requested, in light of its stated policy of transparency, to permit the agency to visit the workshop and to take environmental samples there to assist the agency in . . . confirming the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities. The request was initially denied," the report said.
"The Iranian authorities told the agency that Iran considered such visits, and the requested environmental sampling, as being obligatory only when an Additional Protocol was in force."
The Additional Protocol is an addendum to the NPT - which Tehran has signed - that permits intrusive surprise inspections aimed at finding a secret atomic weapons programme. Iran has yet to sign an Additional Protocol despite intense international pressure for it to do so.
The IAEA report said Iran subsequently indicated it would allow the IAEA team to take samples at Kalaye during its June 7-11th inspections, but then backtracked and refused to allow the team to take samples.
Iran's denial of access is certain to raise tensions with other nations. It insists there is no place for nuclear arms in its security plans, but said on Sunday it would not abandon its peaceful atomic programme.
- (Reuters)