IAEA Head to Visit Iran over Uranium Enrichment

TEHRAN (FNA) The head of the UN nuclear watchdog will arrive Friday in Tehran on a two-day visit to discuss Iran’s nuclear program.

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei will meet with high-ranking Iranian officials in an attempt to remove the few remaining ambiguities about Iran’s nuclear activities, an IAEA spokesperson said.

ElBaradei said in a report in November 2007 that Iran had been truthful, in general, about key aspects of its “nuclear dossier”.

The United States accuses Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons, but reports by the IAEA as well as a recent National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) by 16 US intelligence bodies dismissed Washington’s allegations about Iran, stressing that the Islamic Republic is pursuing a peaceful nuclear program. Tehran has insisted it needs nuclear technology to generate electricity, as is its right under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The Islamic Republic is currently subject to two sets of UN Security Council sanctions over West’s allegations. A further round of tougher sanctions has been blocked by Russia and China.

The NIE report contradicted a previous US intelligence assessment in 2005 which said that the Islamic Republic was actively pursuing a nuclear bomb.

However, US President George W. Bush still continues his hawkish stance on Iran despite the report.