US: IAEA Findings Show Need for Continued Scrutiny of Iran's Nuclear Program
David Gollust
State Department
02 Jun 2004, 19:20 UTC

VOA News

 
The United States said Wednesday that the latest findings by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency make clear that close scrutiny of Iran's nuclear program should continue. U.S. officials have long believed that despite denials, Iran is trying to conceal a nuclear weapons program.

The United States is dismissing Iran's suggestion that the International Atomic Energy's case against it is nearly closed. It says Iranian nuclear activity should remain under close watch "for the foreseeable future."

The comments, from the State Department, follow the release at the IAEA in Vienna Tuesday of a report by the U.N. agency's director-general, Mohammed ElBaradei, which says that important issues about Iran's nuclear program remain unresolved.

The IAEA report, circulated in advance of a meeting this month of its 35-nation governing board, credits Iran with providing new information about its nuclear efforts. But it also cites a wide array of missing details and contradictory explanations of its activities, including acquisition of uranium-enriching centrifuges.

Iranian officials, who say their nuclear program is entirely peaceful, said the report shows that only minor questions remain and that the IAEA probe should be nearing an end.




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