LONDON/VIENNA: The head of the UN nuclear watchdog is considering an invitation to visit Tehran for scheduled talks, a possible sign of progress in a long-stalled investigation into suspected nuclear arms research by Iran.
Iranian state television said International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Yukiya Amano was expected in Tehran on November 11, but the IAEA said only that an invitation was “being considered”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister said yesterday a deal to end a standoff with the international community over Tehran’s nuclear programme could be reached at talks in Geneva later this week.
“I believe it is even possible to reach that agreement this week but I can only talk for our side, I cannot talk for the other side,” Mohammad Javad Zarif told France 24 television ahead of talks here with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius.
After years of worsening confrontation with the West, Iran has switched to a more conciliatory mode in diplomacy on its nuclear activities since the relatively moderate Hassan Rouhani was elected president in June.
The IAEA’s talks with Iran are intended to set up an inspection regime to allow it to prove or disprove Western fears that Iran’s nuclear programme includes weapons research, but a series of meetings since January 2012 have led nowhere. The Islamic Republic denies seeking nuclear weapons, saying it wants only civilian atomic energy.
Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran’s atomic energy organisation, said he hoped for an agreement during Amano’s visit, state television said on its website, giving no details. The UN agency wants access to sites, officials and documents in Iran including the Parchin military base, where it believes nuclear-related explosives tests might have taken place, possibly a decade ago. The discussions are separate from broader negotiations between Iran and six world powers that resumed in Geneva last month and will continue there on November 7 and 8.
Amano has not been to the Iranian capital since May 2012, when he returned saying he expected to sign a deal soon, only to see it fail to materialise.
Diplomats say he would probably want to be confident of concrete progress before repeating the high-profile trip.
IAEA spokeswoman Gill Tudor said only that Amano had been invited to Tehran, “and this is being considered”.
Reuters
