Iran Says Military Site Off-limits to UN Probe

Malaysian National News Agency:

Iran says it will not bow to UN nuclear agency demands to visit a military site in Tehran unless the UN provides "concrete proof" to justify an inspection. Foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi nevertheless said a new report by International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei does "not contain any negative points" and insisted a two-year-old probe should be closed.

ElBaradei's report, released ahead of an IAEA meeting on Thursday, notes that "Iran's full transparency is indispensable and overdue".

His agency is investigating suspicions that Iran is using an atomic energy drive as a cover for weapons development.

The report also says Iran is still denying access to "military-owned workshops and research and development locations". READ MORE

The IAEA wants to return to the Lavizan-Shian area in Tehran, site of a physics research center that was dismantled and the ground razed before IAEA inspectors paid an initial visit in June 2004.

"We only work within the framework of the safeguards, and if they come up with concrete proof within the framework of the safeguards and NPT we will consider it," Asefi told reporters.

Under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran is not obliged to provide access to such sites but has allowed some access as a "confidence-building" measure.

"They cannot just say we want to talk to this or that person and keep on dragging out the dossier.

They should tell us their aims, and these aims should be towards closing the case," Asefi argued.

Iran insists it only wants to make electricity, and is losing patience with the two-year-old IAEA probe of its activities.

The agency has uncovered suspect activity, but no "smoking gun" that proves a weapons program.

"We have cooperated with the IAEA and will continue doing so.

But we will only work within the framework of the NPT and the safeguards, and will not accept anything further," Asefi repeated.

The IAEA board of governors will meet this week to consider whether to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions for not complying with the NPT.

Concerns over Iran's activities have been raised by the submission by Tehran of a document which describes how to make what could be the explosive core of an atom bomb.

The document -- which Iran said came from a black market offer in 1987 that it never acted upon -- gives "procedural requirements for... the casting and machining of enriched, natural and depleted uranium metal into hemispherical forms," the IAEA report said.

Asefi said the significance of the document was being exaggerated.

"This a work of the media. The US and some of its allies, when they saw ElBaradei's report did not contain any negative points, tried to tarnish it," he said.

"There is no legal and rational reason to send Iran's case to the Security Council.

But we have a few days to go before the session and I do not rule out a politicisation of the case," he added.

The IAEA report, Asefi said, "clearly shows Iran has cooperated."

"We can see some progress and there were some positive points.

It shows Iran is committed to international law and shows the previous resolution was politicised.

It is expected that they close the case as soon as possible."

Iran triggered the latest standoff in August when it effectively broke off negotiations with Britain, France and Germany on a package of incentives for restraining its nuclear plans and resumed uranium conversion activities it had suspended a year ago.

Conversion is a precursor to enrichment, and the IAEA board has called on Iran to return to a full freeze. Iran says it is willing to negotiate, but not suspend all of its activities.

An IAEA resolution passed on September 24 also stated that Tehran was in "non-compliance" with the NPT -- an automatic trigger for taking the matter to the Security Council.