UN atomic watchdog to inspect Iran’s new Qom nuclear plant

Experts will inspect Iran’s new uranium enrichment plant on October 25, UN atomic watchdog head Mohamed ElBaradei said yesterday, praising Tehran’s shift “from conspiracy to cooperation” but warning that “concerns” remain over its nuclear aims.

Mr ElBaradei told a news conference in Tehran that Iran had given the assurance International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors would be given access to the new plant, in a mountain near the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran.

“Iran’s case can be solved through dialogue,” the IAEA chief said, as quoted by the official IRNA news agency.

“At present we are shifting from confrontation to cooperation and I am asking Iran to continue its transparency,” Mr ElBaradei added.

“We are now on an appropriate path. The agency and the international community and Iran have started constructive talks.”

Mr ElBaradei was speaking after holding talks with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other officials about Iran’s nuclear drive, which the West believes is a cover for a nuclear weapons programme.

Mr Ahmadinejad was later quoted by the Iranian news agency ISNA as saying that all matters between the Islamic republic and the IAEA had been ironed out.

“Because of good cooperation between Iran and the agency, important issues were resolved and today there is no ambiguous issue left between Iran and the agency,” the hardline President was quoted as saying.

Mr ElBaradei at the news conference indicated that Tehran had been late in disclosing the fact it was building a new uranium enrichment plant near Qom.

“Based on the IAEA regulations, all countries should inform the IAEA on the day they begin construction” of a nuclear plant. Iran informed the agency on September 21, about a year after it started constructing it.

The UN atomic watchdog chief said talks between Western powers and Tehran were a “step in the right direction” but warned that suspicions remained.

“There are concerns about Iran’s future intentions and this is not a verification thing,” he said.

“Iran has mastered enrichment technology. Iran has a fuel cycle, has research facility and will have a nuclear plant. But there are still some questions about Iran’s intentions and thus the inspections are ongoing.”