UN Nuke Board Backs EU Offer Of Incentives To Iran

Reuters, The New York Times:

The 35 nations on the U.N. nuclear watchdog's board urged Iran on Thursday to step up cooperation with U.N. inspectors and backed a European Union offer of incentives if Tehran ends sensitive nuclear work.

Earlier this week, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed ElBaradei, said that by concealing parts of its nuclear program for nearly two decades Iran had created a ``confidence deficit'' and urged Tehran to improve its transparency and cooperation with U.N. inspectors. ...

The head of Iran's delegation to the IAEA, Sirus Naseri, told Reuters he was not necessarily optimistic about this month's round of talks between the EU3 and Iran. However, he said a breakthrough was possible if the Europeans were ready to compromise by allowing Tehran to keep its enrichment program. ...

Hossein Mousavian, a senior Iranian security official, reacted angrily to ElBaradei's expressed desire to visit facilities that are not officially declared nuclear sites.

Mousavian said ElBaradei should avoid making ``such excessive demands,'' adding that he ``has no right to raise any demand beyond the international treaties.''