Iran under renewed pressure to allow nuke search

EXPERTS from the UN nuclear watchdog began talks aimed at getting Iran to permit unrestricted inspections of its nuclear facilities even as a published report said that Iran was moving towards developing a nuclear weapons capability.

The three-member legal team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) met yesterday with Iranian government lawyers, said Saber Zaeimian, spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran.

The US has accused Iran of running a clandestine nuclear weapons programme and wants the IAEA to declare Tehran in violation of the non-proliferation treaty. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful, electrical power purposes.

But in a report yesterday, the Los Angeles Times said Iran "appears to be in the late stages of developing the capacity to build a nuclear bomb".

The Times said its three-month investigation found that Iran has been involved in a pattern of activity that has concealed weapons efforts from international inspectors.

The newspaper citing sources ranging from previously secret reports, international officials, independent experts and Iranian exiles reported Iran made use of technology and scientists from Russia, North Korea, China and Pakistan to bring it closer to building a bomb than Iraq ever was.

The paper also reported that samples of uranium taken by arms inspectors in June tested positive for enrichment levels to be consistent with attempt to build a bomb.

Commenting on reports of Iranian nuclear efforts, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the US government is "working with the IAEA to make sure they do not continue on this course, which is unacceptable".

Iran has said it would agree to unfettered inspections if it is granted access to advanced nuclear technology as provided for under the treaty. Tehran says Washington is keeping Iran from getting that technology.

Conservatives in Iran have said Iran would withdraw from the treaty altogether if the IAEA forces Iran to sign the protocol. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi has said Iran's withdrawal was out of the question.