U.S. and IAEA Express Concerns Over Iran's Nuclear Program - 2004-03-09

The United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) once again expressed their concerns regarding the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic of Iran. On Monday, Mr. Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the agency, stated during his speech at the agency's board meeting in Vienna that both Iran and Libya have violated the provisions of the Non-Proliferation Treaty for years. Mr. ElBaradei added that he expects both countries to fully disclose their nuclear programs to help restore international confidence. The IAEA had previously stated that, despite Iran's commitments to full cooperation, its inspectors discovered components and details applicable to the construction of nuclear weapons. The U.S. also criticized Iran, claiming that the Islamic Republic changes its reports on its nuclear projects every time new facts are uncovered, presenting a new story each time. The Islamic Republic of Iran claims that it refrained from disclosing full details of its nuclear program in its November report to the agency because it had not yet signed the Additional Protocol at that time and was therefore not obligated to disclose all these details. On the other hand, the Islamic Republic insists that Iran's nuclear program is for electricity generation. Pirooz Hosseini, Iran's representative to the IAEA, stated that Iran has fully cooperated with the agency's inspectors since the implementation of the Additional Protocol with the agency last December.