Region | Iran
UN nuclear watchdog meeting today
The International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board will focus on Iran at a meeting opening on Monday. But with Tehran considering a temporary uranium enrichment freeze, few nations are expected to harshly criticise its nuclear defiance.
- Agencies
- Published: 00:00 September 11, 2006
Vienna, Austria: The International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board will focus on Iran at a meeting opening on Monday. But with Tehran considering a temporary uranium enrichment freeze, few nations are expected to harshly criticise its nuclear defiance.
The board was responsible for moving Iran's nuclear file to the UN Security Council early this year, and the United States and its allies have regularly used its sessions to take Tehran to task for what they say are secret attempts to build a nuclear weapon.
The board will hear a report from IAEA head Mohammasd Al Baradei that essentially says Iran has stalemated a more than three-year investigation of its suspicious activities by the UN nuclear watchdog.
Al Baradei may also warn that economic sanctions - one possible lever being considered by the Security Council to enforce a demand Tehran freeze enrichment - could lead Iran to prohibit furtherinspections by his experts.
But Iran's suggestion that it is ready to consider complying - at least temporarily - with a UN Security Council demand that it freeze uranium enrichment is likely to take some pressure off the Islamic republic when the board takes up its case later in the week.
Ahead of Monday's opening session, a diplomat from a board member country said the European Union - whose foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, was instrumental in coaxing Iran to compromise - has prepared a "moderate" statement on Iran and its nuclear defiance.
Meanwhile,in response to press reports the Iranian ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog agency in Vienna told media on Sunday that Iran has not proposed suspending uranium enrichment for up to two months.
"Such a thing has not been discussed" in the two days of meetings between European foreign policy chief Javier Solana and top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, said Ali Asghar Soltanieh, part of the Iranian delegation at the talks.
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