Deployment of IAEA Inspectors to Iran - 2003-10-27

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) observers state that they are in the process of sending inspectors to Iran. The deployment of inspectors is to investigate a report submitted by the Iranian government last week regarding the country's nuclear project activities. The IAEA says it will send three of its senior inspectors to collaborate with those currently in Iran. The inspectors will inspect Iran's nuclear equipment and take samples from areas used for this purpose. The IAEA will review the reports submitted by the Iranian government to ensure their accuracy and completeness. However, no report will be submitted to the high-level committee in this regard until the end of November. On Thursday, the Iranian government provided a new report on its nuclear activities to the IAEA that was not included in the previous report. The IAEA had given the Iranian government until the end of October to prove that it is not engaged in the production and development of nuclear weapons, or else face global sanctions. In another development, in the latest report on Sunday, Tehran retracted its claim that it had halted its uranium enrichment program. Hamid Reza Asefi, the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, stated that the Iranian government is studying how to stop uranium enrichment. Mr. Asefi had previously stated that he believed the uranium enrichment program had been halted since the government’s agreement with the European Union authorities on Tuesday.