Iran wants to widen atomic machine tests-diplomats

Louis Charbonneau, Reuters:

Iran says it wants to break U.N. seals and test "essential" parts for machines for nuclear work, diplomats said, adding this showed Iran's freeze on activity which could produce atomic weapons would be short-lived.

The Western diplomats, who are close to talks between Iran and the European Union's "big three" -- France, Britain and Germany -- said the Iranians had made this request despite the EU's insistence that it keep its promise to refrain from any and all activities linked to uranium enrichment.

"Iran wants to expand quality control checks and maintenance of 'non-essential' enrichment centrifuge parts to 'essential' centrifuge parts that have been sealed by the IAEA under the suspension," a diplomat close to the EU-Iran talks said on condition of anonymity. ...

"This is clearly a violation of the spirit of the suspension agreement," said one diplomat close to the EU-Iran talks. ...

In a statement to the IAEA board of governors, the EU trio said Tehran's recent cleaning and quality control work on centrifuge parts was "of serious concern". ...