UN sets new Iran visit date

PanARMENIAN.Net - The UN atomic watchdog IAEA said Wednesday, Feb 1, it would hold new talks in Tehran this month, as its chief inspector returned from Iran warning there was "still a lot of work to do" on its nuclear program, AFP reported.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement that another meeting would take place in Tehran from February 21 to 22, adding that it was committed to "intensifying dialogue".

Earlier, chief UN nuclear inspector Herman Nackaerts told reporters on his return from a three-day trip to Tehran that his six-member team had had a "good" visit.

The trip, which according to Tehran did not take in any atomic sites, was organized in the wake of a damning IAEA report on Iran's nuclear ambitions issued in November.

"We had three days of intensive discussions about all our priorities. We are committed to resolving all the outstanding issues and the Iranians said they are committed too," Nackaerts said at Vienna airport. "But of course there is still a lot of work to be done, and so we have planned another trip in the very near future."

The visit took place against a backdrop of heightened tensions following the November IAEA report that significantly raised suspicions Iran had done work on developing nuclear weapons. The United States, the European Union and others have since ramped up sanctions to target Iran's oil industry and central bank. Tehran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global crude shipments.

"The agency is committed to intensifying dialogue. It remains essential to make progress on substantive issues," IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said in a statement as the agency announced the new dates for talks.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi told the Fars news agency that the IAEA talks were "good" and that it was agreed to continue them in the future.

"The delegation had some questions about the alleged studies (in the November report), and thanks to God we had very good sessions," he was quoted as saying.

"They did not visit any nuclear sites. We were ready to facilitate such visits if they had wanted to."

The IAEA, which has refused to give any details about the visit, only said Wednesday that it had "explained its concerns and identified its priorities, which focus on the clarification of possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program."