Iran’s N. Issue in Final Stages

TEHRAN (FNA) Head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization Gholam Reza Aghazadeh here Sunday said that Tehran’s nuclear issue is in final stages and would soon be resolved.

Aghazadeh viewed as significant the recent visit to Tehran by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Mohamed ElBaradei, and said, “The visit was paid at a sensitive juncture. Considering that Iran’s nuclear issue is experiencing its final stages, it was of significance for us to review our issues at the highest levels.”

He further pointed to confidence building as among the most important discussions between Iran and foreign parties, and added, “During the talks with ElBaradei, this issue was transparently stated that confidence building is a two-way road and that we are not necessitated to give an account (of our work) to western countries, legally speaking.”

The Iranian nuclear chief also said that during talks, the Islamic Republic officials have highlighted the point that Iran views the IAEA as the party to its nuclear issue, which should provide Tehran with the required assurances.

Reminding that ElBaradei is due to present a report to the IAEA Board of Governors in March, he said, “At that stage, Iran’s nuclear case will be closed and normalized at the Agency, meaning that Iran is a nuclear state with equal rights (compared with the rights of other established nuclear states) and that the Agency’s view on Iran will be similar to (its view on) other countries.”

“It was of much significance to ElBaradei to hear Iran’s official views from the Islamic Republic’s senior officials,” Aghazadeh stressed, adding that the UN nuclear watchdog chief was satisfied with the results of his talks in Iran and was informed of Iran’s stances in a transparent way.

He also said if the next report by the IAEA head to the governing board approves transparency in Iran’s past nuclear activities, Tehran’s nuclear issue will be normalized and returned from the UN Security Council to the IAEA, reminding that referral of Iran’s dossier to the Security Council was an illegal action from the very beginning.