Iran promises access to Lavizan nuclear site in Iran
VIENNA (AFP) -
Iran has promised to allow UN nuclear inspectors to visit the former Lavizan military site in Tehran in what would be a key concession in the UN investigation of the Islamic Republic's contested nuclear program, diplomats said.
The promise was made in a faxed letter received earlier this week in Vienna by the
International Atomic Energy Agency's deputy director for safeguards, Ollie Heinonen, who has since left for Iran.
IAEA officials refused to comment on whether Heinonen, who is expected to return from Iran this weekend, has actually visited Lavizan.
Iran tried to acquire equipment that could have been used in uranium enrichment at the Lavizan site in Tehran, which the United States says was used for developing weapons of mass destruction, the IAEA said in a report in November 2004.
Iran has removed buildings and topsoil from the Lavizan site but IAEA officials, who have already visited there, still want to take environmental samples in order to find traces of uranium particles and want to investigate dual-use machines that were employed at Lavizan.
"There was a promise that he would go to Lavizan on this visit. Otherwise, Mr Heinonen would not have traveled to Iran," a diplomat close to the IAEA said on Friday.
Several other diplomats confirmed the existence of the Iranian letter and its contents.
They said Iran promised to provide responses to other questions the IAEA says must be answered as it seeks to determine whether the Iranian nuclear program is a peaceful effort to generate electricity, as Iran claims, or a cover for the secret development of atomic weapons, as the United States says is the case.
These questions concern offers of nuclear technology and parts Iran received in 1987 and 1994 from a international atomic smuggling ring run by now disgraced Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb.
The IAEA has also asked Iran to supply a document it showed the agency on making hemispheres of uranium metal, objects whose only use is as the core of atom bombs.
"The Iranians have promised to let the IAEA put this document under seal," a diplomat said. The diplomat did not provide more details.
IAEA inspectors routinely seal equipment such as centrifuges to make sure that these instruments are not used for sensitive nuclear work.
The final question concerns Iran's alleged efforts to work directly on making nuclear weapons, such as US intelligence that Tehran worked on putting payloads on missiles in a form that would only make sense for nuclear bombs.
Iran has promised to allow UN nuclear inspectors to visit the former Lavizan military site in Tehran in what would be a key concession in the UN investigation of the Islamic Republic's contested nuclear program, diplomats said.
The promise was made in a faxed letter received earlier this week in Vienna by the
International Atomic Energy Agency's deputy director for safeguards, Ollie Heinonen, who has since left for Iran.
IAEA officials refused to comment on whether Heinonen, who is expected to return from Iran this weekend, has actually visited Lavizan.
Iran tried to acquire equipment that could have been used in uranium enrichment at the Lavizan site in Tehran, which the United States says was used for developing weapons of mass destruction, the IAEA said in a report in November 2004.
Iran has removed buildings and topsoil from the Lavizan site but IAEA officials, who have already visited there, still want to take environmental samples in order to find traces of uranium particles and want to investigate dual-use machines that were employed at Lavizan.
"There was a promise that he would go to Lavizan on this visit. Otherwise, Mr Heinonen would not have traveled to Iran," a diplomat close to the IAEA said on Friday.
Several other diplomats confirmed the existence of the Iranian letter and its contents.
They said Iran promised to provide responses to other questions the IAEA says must be answered as it seeks to determine whether the Iranian nuclear program is a peaceful effort to generate electricity, as Iran claims, or a cover for the secret development of atomic weapons, as the United States says is the case.
These questions concern offers of nuclear technology and parts Iran received in 1987 and 1994 from a international atomic smuggling ring run by now disgraced Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb.
The IAEA has also asked Iran to supply a document it showed the agency on making hemispheres of uranium metal, objects whose only use is as the core of atom bombs.
"The Iranians have promised to let the IAEA put this document under seal," a diplomat said. The diplomat did not provide more details.
IAEA inspectors routinely seal equipment such as centrifuges to make sure that these instruments are not used for sensitive nuclear work.
The final question concerns Iran's alleged efforts to work directly on making nuclear weapons, such as US intelligence that Tehran worked on putting payloads on missiles in a form that would only make sense for nuclear bombs.
posted by Marko at 1/28/2006 08:54:00 AM
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