IAEA chief says nears deal with Iran ahead of power talks
Speaking on the eve of the Baghdad meeting where six powers will test Iranian willingness to put transparent limits on its nuclear programme, Yukiya Amano said his wish for access to an Iranian military site where nuclear weapons-relevant tests may have occurred would be addressed as part of the accord.
European sanctions to block Iran's oil exports are to take force in July and Israel has mooted military action. Iran, which denies any ambition to develop nuclear arms, has threatened reprisals and oil prices have risen on fears of a new Middle East war hitting a shaky world economy.
Amano himself acknowledged that "some differences" remained before the deal he hashed out during a rare visit to Tehran on Monday could be sealed, although chief Iranian negotiator Saeed Jalili had told him these would not prevent agreement.
"(A) decision was made to conclude and sign the agreement ... I can say it will be signed quite soon," Amano told reporters at Vienna airport after returning from Tehran.
The veteran Japanese diplomat described the outcome of his meetings in Iran as an "important development".
"We understand each other's position better."
Asked what differences persisted, Amano said only that they were "details of discussions on this document".
Underscoring Western scepticism arising from the checkered history of IAEA accords with Iran, the acting US ambassador to the Vienna-based agency called on Iran to cooperate immediately and substantively with UN inspectors.
"While we appreciate the efforts (by the IAEA) to conclude a substantive agreement, we remain concerned by the urgent obligation for Iran to cooperate fully with the verification efforts of the IAEA ... to resolve all outstanding concerns about the nature of its nuclear programme," Robert Wood said.
Amano did not repeat a remark attributed to him by Iranian state television on Monday that his talks in Tehran would have a "positive impact" on the global powers' session with Jalili in Baghdad on Wednesday.
Western diplomats voiced doubt later on Monday that any significant breakthrough towards resolving suspicions about Iran's nuclear intentions had indeed been made, and were awaiting clarification from Amano.
Jalili said after meeting Amano that Iran was "a serious supporter of ... global disarmament, confronting the spread of nuclear weapons and the usage of peaceful nuclear technology for (non-proliferation treaty) member states".
He held out the prospect of "good cooperation with the agency in the future in these areas," but pointedly said nothing about clearing up concerns about suspected nuclear weapons work.
Iran says it needs uranium enriched to a fissile concentration of 20 percent for its medical isotope reactor. Enrichment to 5 percent of fissile purity is suitable for power plant fuel, while 90 percent constitutes fuel for bombs.
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