Yukiya Amano was
addressing a session of the UN agency's 35-nation board, the first since
relative moderate Hassan Rouhani took office as Iranian president in early
August, raising cautious optimism of progress in the nuclear dispute.
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Amano, director
general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the IAEA was committed
to working constructively with Rouhani's government to "resolve
outstanding issues by diplomatic means".
His carefully chosen
words underlined international hopes that Rouhani's administration will be less
confrontational in its dealings with the outside world than his hardline
predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Rouhani, keen to
secure a relaxation of harsh international sanctions on Iran, has signaled
readiness to be more open about Iranian nuclear activities in return for the
acceptance of Tehran's right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.
But Western
diplomats stress that it remains to be seen whether Iran is prepared to curb
its nuclear program, which they believe may be geared towards developing a
nuclear weapons capability. Iran says it is entirely peaceful.
In his speech, Amano
made clear that Iran had yet to show the level of cooperation that he wants
from Tehran.
"Iran is not
providing the necessary cooperation to enable us to provide credible assurance
about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities," he told
the closed-door board session, according to a copy of his speech.
"The Agency
therefore cannot conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful
activities."
IAEA HAS "CREDIBLE INFORMATION" ON IRAN
An important test of whether Iran may be willing to soften its nuclear
defiance, Vienna-based diplomats say, will be an IAEA-Iran meeting on Sept. 27
to discuss what the agency calls "possible military dimensions" to
Tehran's atomic activities.
The two sides have
held 10 rounds of negotiations since early 2012 in an attempt by the IAEA to
resume its long-stalled inquiry.
The talks have
failed to yield results but Iran last month announced it would replace the
envoy who has led the country's team in the discussions, in a possible sign of
its desire for a new start after Rouhani's election.
Iran's new IAEA
ambassador, Reza Najafi, attended Monday's board meeting but made no immediate
comment.
"Given the
nature and extent of credible information available to the agency about
possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear programme, it remains essential
and urgent for Iran to engage with us on the substance of our concerns,"
Amano said.
He said Iran without
further delay should provide access to a military base, Parchin, where UN
inspectors believe it has carried out tests relevant for nuclear weapons
development. Iran denies the charge, saying Parchin is a conventional army
base.
So far there is no
clear indication of Iran slowing its nuclear campaign. An IAEA report last
month showed Iran preparing to test 1,000 advanced uranium enrichment
centrifuges, enabling it to produce more quickly nuclear material that can have
both military and civilian applications.
Iran says its
nuclear energy program is for electricity generation and medical uses only,
rejecting Western accusations it is covertly trying to develop the capability
to make bombs.
The Iran-IAEA talks
are separate, but still closely linked, to negotiations between six major
powers - the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - and
Iran aimed at finding a broader diplomatic solution to the nuclear dispute.
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