U.S. says IAEA report won't end concerns over Iran

Reuters:

The United States remains concerned about Iran's nuclear program despite reported findings by scientists that bomb-grade uranium traces found in Iran came from contaminated Pakistani equipment, the State Department said.

Spokesman Sean McCormack said on Tuesday the contamination issue was "one part of this overall set of questions that not just the United States has, but the rest of the world has about Iran's nuclear program." READ MORE

A report by a panel of scientists from the United States, Russia, France, Japan and Britain, convened by the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency, will be shared with IAEA board members early next month, the Washington Post reported.

The Post said on Tuesday the report would support Iran's claim that the traces of highly enriched uranium came from contaminated centrifuges imported from Pakistan.

The Bush administration had pointed to the material as evidence that Iran was making bomb-grade ingredients, the paper said.

McCormack said the United States had other "unresolved concerns outside of the issue of the contaminated centrifuges," including Iran's dealings with "clandestine nuclear procurement networks."

European powers on Tuesday called off talks set for August 31 with Iran over its nuclear program after Iran resumed some nuclear work in breach of a promise to freeze it while talks lasted.

McCormack voiced U.S. support for the European nations' decision.

"We believe that Iran should abide by its Paris commitments. It has broken those commitments," he said.

Under the Paris Agreement, reached in November 2004, Iran voluntarily suspended all work related to atomic fuel production while negotiating a permanent deal with the European Union.

The United States and the EU say Iran broke the agreement when it resumed uranium conversion at its Isfahan plant on August 8.