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Iran, UN Nuclear Watchdog Begin Talks on Weapons-Grade Uranium
Monday, December 10, 2007
TEHRAN, Iran - Iranian and U.N. nuclear officials began a new round of
talks here on Monday, this time to probe the source of weapons-grade uranium
that was found at Tehran's university, the official IRNA news agency
reported.
It was not clear from the report how or when the weapons-grade uranium was
discovered at the Technology faculty of the state university.
The meeting between the International Atomic Energy Agency delegation and
its Iranian hosts comes in the wake of a surprising U.S. intelligence report
last week that concluded Iran had stopped its nuclear weapons program in
late 2003 and had not resumed it since.
The talks also follow an IAEA report last month which stated Iran had been
generally truthful about its past uranium enrichment activities. Much of the
10-page report focused on Iran's black-market procurements and past
development of uranium enrichment technology.
But the talks Monday were related to a separate issue -- the university
find. It's believed this was the first time the incident was discussed.
The IAEA's mandate obliges it to investigate a country's nuclear activities
and probe all suspicious findings, such as the traces at Tehran university.
In 2003 and 2004, the IAEA revealed other incidents where weapons-grade
uranium was found elsewhere in the country, but Iran at the times said those
traces came from imported equipment that had been contaminated before it was
purchased.
The parts suspected of being contaminated in those incidents were believed
to have come from Pakistan.
The IAEA delegation in Monday talks was headed by Herman Nackartes, head of
the watchdog's Safeguard Operations department.
In its November report, the IAEA also said it requested access to documents,
individuals and relevant equipment and locations for sample-taking to
determine the source of the contamination.
Iran officials taking part in the talks must answer all IAEA questions about
how the uranium particles got to the university.
While Iran has responded to many IAEA questions about past nuclear
activities such as P-1 and P-2 centrifuges, a technology used to enrich
uranium, some issues still remain unresolved, such as the university
contamination.
Iran has also met a key IAEA demand and handed over long-sought blueprints
on how to mold uranium metal into the shape of warheads which Tehran said
were obtained from black market nuclear dealers.
The United States and some of its allies accuse Iran of seeking to build
nuclear weapons but Tehran has denied the charges, saying its nuclear
program is only geared toward generating electricity, not a nuclear bomb.
Iran maintains it would never give up its right under the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty to enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel.
Iran, UN Nuclear Watchdog Begin Talks on Weapons-Grade Uranium
Monday, December 10, 2007
TEHRAN, Iran - Iranian and U.N. nuclear officials began a new round of
talks here on Monday, this time to probe the source of weapons-grade uranium
that was found at Tehran's university, the official IRNA news agency
reported.
It was not clear from the report how or when the weapons-grade uranium was
discovered at the Technology faculty of the state university.
The meeting between the International Atomic Energy Agency delegation and
its Iranian hosts comes in the wake of a surprising U.S. intelligence report
last week that concluded Iran had stopped its nuclear weapons program in
late 2003 and had not resumed it since.
The talks also follow an IAEA report last month which stated Iran had been
generally truthful about its past uranium enrichment activities. Much of the
10-page report focused on Iran's black-market procurements and past
development of uranium enrichment technology.
But the talks Monday were related to a separate issue -- the university
find. It's believed this was the first time the incident was discussed.
The IAEA's mandate obliges it to investigate a country's nuclear activities
and probe all suspicious findings, such as the traces at Tehran university.
In 2003 and 2004, the IAEA revealed other incidents where weapons-grade
uranium was found elsewhere in the country, but Iran at the times said those
traces came from imported equipment that had been contaminated before it was
purchased.
The parts suspected of being contaminated in those incidents were believed
to have come from Pakistan.
The IAEA delegation in Monday talks was headed by Herman Nackartes, head of
the watchdog's Safeguard Operations department.
In its November report, the IAEA also said it requested access to documents,
individuals and relevant equipment and locations for sample-taking to
determine the source of the contamination.
Iran officials taking part in the talks must answer all IAEA questions about
how the uranium particles got to the university.
While Iran has responded to many IAEA questions about past nuclear
activities such as P-1 and P-2 centrifuges, a technology used to enrich
uranium, some issues still remain unresolved, such as the university
contamination.
Iran has also met a key IAEA demand and handed over long-sought blueprints
on how to mold uranium metal into the shape of warheads which Tehran said
were obtained from black market nuclear dealers.
The United States and some of its allies accuse Iran of seeking to build
nuclear weapons but Tehran has denied the charges, saying its nuclear
program is only geared toward generating electricity, not a nuclear bomb.
Iran maintains it would never give up its right under the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty to enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel.
