Iran: UN Agency Urges Tehran To Accept More Inspections
Vienna, 19 June 2003 (RFE/RL) -- Members of the United Nations' nuclear monitoring agency have urged Iran to allow continued inspections of nuclear facilities in order to assure the world that Iran is not secretly developing nuclear weapons.
The statement by the UN International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors includes a call for Iran to accept more intrusive inspections of nuclear sites.
However, Iran's envoy to the agency, which is based in Vienna, said there had been no consensus on the board on whether Iran should unconditionally accept tougher inspections of its nuclear program.
The United States, which accuses Iran of having a clandestine program to make nuclear weapons, has been seeking international action to force Iran to open up its nuclear program to outside inspection.
U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday said he and other world leaders will not tolerate nuclear weapons in Iran.
Iran denies it is trying to develop nuclear bombs.
Copyright (c) 2003. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
