Al Nassr secures 5-1 victory over Al Ain to edge closer to knockout stage    Saudi Deputy FM meets Lt. Gen. Al-Burhan of Sudan    Al-Khateeb: Saudi Arabia is the largest global investor in tourism sector "Saudi Land" pavilion inaugurated at World Travel Market in London    Saudi Crown Prince, Japanese PM discuss over phone efforts made to achieve peace in the region    Saudi Arabia, in its drive to enrich Arab culture, launches Arab Week at UNESCO in Paris    Neymar exits Al Hilal match with muscle injury, leaving fans disappointed    AlHisn Big Time Studios unveiled to transform film and TV production in Riyadh    Saudi Arabia approves cooperation agreement with US for the use of outer space for peaceful purposes    Quality of Life Program CEO highlights Saudi urban transformations at UN-Habitat conference in Cairo    Almarai wins 'Best Corporate Sukuk' at Asset Triple A Islamic Finance Awards    Top climber falls to death after rare Himalayan feat    US voters flying home in time for election    Drones and snipers on standby to protect Arizona vote-counters    India's Modi condemns violence after Canada temple incident    Elon Musk can keep giving $1m to voters, judge rules    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Quincy Jones, titan of US music, dies aged 91    Hidden sugars in Asia's baby food spark concerns    HONOR unveils pre-order of the stunning HONOR MagicBook Art 14 Featuring an ultra-slim design, HONOR Eye Comfort Display and AI Cross-OS WorkStation    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Head of UN nuclear watchdog sees Iran cooperation
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 04 - 10 - 2009


The visiting head of the U.N. nuclear
watchdog set Oct. 25 as the date for his inspectors to
check Iran's newly revealed uranium enrichment site and
struck an upbeat note Sunday, saying Tehran's confrontation
with the West is shifting gears to more cooperation and
transparency, AP reported.
Though the United Nations has no «concrete proof» of an
ongoing nuclear weapons program, the chief of the U.N.'s
International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, said
he has «concerns about Iran's future intentions.»
The inspection of the site and the outcome of more nuclear
talks later this month with the United States and its
allies will be crucial in determining the direction of the
six-year standoff over Iran's nuclear activities.
«I see that we are at a critical moment. I see that we
are shifting gears from confrontation into transparency and
cooperation,» ElBaradei said at a news conference in
Tehran with Iran's top nuclear official.
His visit followed a week of intense diplomatic activity
surrounding Iran's nuclear program, set off by the
revelation that Tehran had been secretly constructing a new
uranium enrichment plant just north of the holy city of
Qom. On Thursday, Iran and six world powers put nuclear
talks back on track at a landmark session near Geneva that
included the highest-level bilateral contact with the U.S.
in years.
President Barack Obama's national security adviser said
Sunday that Washington was also pleased with the level of
cooperation from Iran.
«The fact that Iran came to the table and seemingly
showed some degree of cooperation, I think, is a good
thing,» James Jones said on CNN's «State of the Union»
program.
«But this is not going to be an open-ended process. ...
We, the world community, want to be satisfied within a
short period of time,» Jones added. «So it's not going to
be extended discussions that we're going to have before we
draw our conclusions to what their real intent is. But for
now, I think things are moving in the right direction.»
ElBaradei was in Iran to set up the U.N. inspection of the
facility near Qom.
The site sparked serious concern, in part because its
location next to a military base and partly inside a
mountain adds to suspicions that Iran's nuclear program
could have a military dimension. Obama, who accuses Iran of
seeking to keep the site hidden for years before notifying
the IAEA about it, has said Tehran's actions «raised grave
doubts» about its promise to use nuclear technology for
peaceful purposes only.
Iran, which insists its nuclear work is only for
nonmilitary purposes like energy production and medical
research, says the site's location near a military base is
intended to protect it from potential aerial bombing.
«It is important for us to send our inspectors to do a
comprehensive verification of that facility, to assure
ourselves that it is a facility that is built for peaceful
purposes,» ElBaradei said, seated beside Ali Akbar Salehi,
the head of Iran's nuclear agency. «We agreed that our
inspectors would come here on the 25th of October to do the
inspection and to go to Qom and I hope and I trust that
Iran will be as transparent with our inspectors team as
possible.»
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said that the
permanent members of the U.N. Security Council are studying
options for more sanctions if Iran does not fully open its
nuclear program to international inspections.
«But right now we are in a period of intense
negotiations,» said Ambassador Susan Rice, speaking on NBC
TV's «Meet the Press.» «It's not an infinite period.
It's a very finite period,» she said, while refusing to
set a deadline.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told ElBaradei that
Iran's cooperation with the agency has left no ambiguity
over Tehran's nuclear activities.
«Outstanding issues were resolved due to good cooperation
between Iran and the agency,» state TV quoted Ahmadinejad
as saying. «Today, there are no ambiguous issues left.»
But the IAEA says there are still issues that Iran needs
to clarify, including alleged studies by Iran on high
explosives and a missile delivery system for a nuclear
warhead.
«As I have said many times and I continue to say today,
the agency has no complete proof that there is an ongoing
weapons program in Iran,» ElBaradei said. «There are
allegations that Iran has conducted weaponization studies.
However these allegations we are still looking into and we
are looking to Iran to help us clarify,» he added.
Iranian officials have challenged Obama's accusations that
they sought to keep the new enrichment site hidden, saying
a Sept. 21 letter informing the IAEA about the facility was
sent a year earlier than required.
«We disagree with the interpretation of Iran. ... Iran
should have informed the IAEA the day it decided to
construct the facility,» ElBaradei said.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty's Additional Protocol
requires notification before construction starts. The
Additional Protocol, which Iran says it stopped
implementing in response to U.N. sanctions, also allows
intrusive inspections.
«It is important to us that Iran reapplies the Additional
Protocol,» ElBaradei said.
ElBaradei also discussed a plan to allow Russia to take
some of Iran's processed uranium and enrich it to higher
levels to fuel a research reactor in Tehran.
He said that there would be a meeting Oct. 19 in Vienna
with Iran, the U.S., France and Russia to discuss the
details of that agreement.


Clic here to read the story from its source.