News

* IAEA chief Amano urges Iranian cooperation over military concerns

* Highlights challenges ahead of Geneva talks

VIENNA:
UN nuclear agency chief Yukiya Amano complained on Thursday about
Iran’s lack of cooperation with his inspectors, four days before
long-stalled talks resume between Tehran and major powers.

Amano’s
comments to the 35-nation governing board of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) highlight the challenges that negotiators will face
in seeking to resolve a dispute over the Islamic state’s nuclear
ambitions.

‘The agency needs Iran’s cooperation in clarifying
outstanding issues which give rise to concerns about possible military
dimensions to its nuclear programme, including by providing access to
all sites, equipment, persons and documents requested by the agency,’
Amano said in a speech.

Western powers accuse Iran of seeking to
develop atom bombs and want the country to suspend uranium enrichment
activities, which can have both civilian and military uses.

Iran says its nuclear programme is aimed at generating electricity and has repeatedly rejected demands to curb it.

Throwing
independent weight behind the West’s suspicions about Tehran’s atomic
ambitions, Amano said in his first report on Iran in February that the
IAEA feared Tehran may be working now to develop a nuclear-a... >>>