Iran has secret talks with UN

Herald Sun:

UN nuclear chief Dr Mohamed ElBaradei held a secret meeting with Iran's chief negotiator, who lobbied for help in avoiding measures against Iran over its nuclear program, diplomats said overnight. READ MORE

Dr ElBaradei and Ali Larijani met in Vienna on Sunday, the day before the five UN Security Council permanent members plus Germany met in London to consider what to do about Iran's controversial nuclear program.

Iran has resumed its nuclear research despite major international protest and amid US charges that it aims to develop atomic weapons.

Britain, Germany and France called at the London meeting for a special session on February 2 of Mr ElBaradei's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The IAEA has the power to refer Iran to the UN Security Council, which in turn could impose sanctions on the Islamic republic.

Mr Larijani was "seeking to foil" the emergency meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors, said a diplomat who asked not to be named. The diplomat said Mr Larijani left Vienna for Iran on Monday.

"The talks with Dr ElBaradei revolved, among other issues, around the issue of IAEA inspectors entering nuclear sites without prior coordination," the diplomat said.

This concession in allowing for snap inspections was beyond what Iran was already granting voluntarily, as IAEA inspectors must give advance notice of a visit to an Iranian site.

"The Iranians left the talks encouraged," the diplomat said, although two other diplomats close to the IAEA who confirmed the talks said Dr ElBaradei did not oppose the European initiative for an early IAEA board meeting.

Dr ElBaradei had, however, earlier this month told diplomats that he would rather have the Iranian nuclear matter taken up at a regular IAEA board meeting in March, even if he has become tougher in his talks with the Iranians and said publicly that he was "losing patience" with Iran's lack of transparency about its atomic work.

Dr ElBaradei was also hoping that Iran would hold off from using machines that can enrich uranium after removing the IAEA seals on them last week.

That could possibly clear the way for negotiations to guarantee that Iran's nuclear program was intended for peaceful generation of electricity, as Tehran claims.