IAEA Chief Cannot Confirm Iran Nuclear Program Peaceful
VOA News 01 March 2010
The U.N. nuclear agency's new chief says it is impossible to verify whether Iran's nuclear program is peaceful, because Tehran is not cooperating with the agency.
The International Atomic Energy Agency's Yukiya Amano criticized Iran on Monday in his first address to the group's board of governors in Vienna.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki rejected Amano's statement at a news conference in Geneva. He said Tehran has fully cooperated with the IAEA, and will continue doing so.
The IAEA asserted for the first time last month that Iran may be trying to build a nuclear bomb. The agency previously suggested Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons happened in the past.
Tehran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Iran is facing the possibility of new U.N. sanctions as Washington lobbies international support to punish Tehran for its uranium enrichment activities.
Enriched uranium is a key component of nuclear bombs.
Iran has refused to accept an IAEA-brokered deal to ship most of its enriched uranium to Russia and France to be processed into fuel for a medical research reactor.
The plan was designed to curb Iran's ability to use the uranium for military purposes.
Iranian media reported Monday that Tehran sent the IAEA a letter, explaining that the government does not trust Western states with its nuclear fuel supply.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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