09-21-2015, 12:35 PM
Mon Sep 21, 2015 | 7:14 AM EDT
VIENNA (Reuters) -
Environmental samples have been taken at a sensitive military site in Iran, the head of the U.N. nuclear agency said on Monday, citing "significant progress" in its investigation of Tehran's past activities.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is investigating whether Iran's past nuclear activities were linked to developing atomic weapons, and is due to provide an assessment on the issue by the end of the year.
The report is crucial to the implementation of a
landmark agreement between Iran and world
powers in July under which restrictions will be
placed on Tehran's nuclear energy programer
in exchange for a lifting of sanctions.
IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano said he
and the head of the agency's Department of
Safeguards, which carries out inspections,
visited a building at the Parchin site that the
agency had previously only observed in satellite imagery.
Environmental samples were taken before his
visit on Sunday, and he said "the Iranian side
played a part in the sample-taking process by
swiping samples".
The IAEA says any activities Iran has
undertaken at Parchin since U.N. inspectors
last visited in 2005 could jeopardize its ability to verify Western intelligence suggesting Tehran carried out tests there relevant to nuclear bomb detonations more than a decade ago.
Iran has dismissed the intelligence as "fabricated".
The Vienna-based U.N. watchdog has come
under criticism over a confidential agreement
with Iran that critics say restricts its ability to
investigate at the sprawling Parchin complex.
Under that arrangement, the samples would be
taken by Iranian technicians while IAEA experts present at Parchin would observe and oversee the process, Western diplomats told Reuters.
"The agency can confirm the integrity of the
sampling process and the authenticity of the
samples, which were taken at places of interest to the agency at the particular location in Parchin," Amano said in a statement to reporters. "Authentication by the agency of the samples was achieved through use of an established verification process. The process was carried out under our responsibility and monitoring."
(Reporting by Francois Murphy and Shadia
Nasralla; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
VIENNA (Reuters) -
Environmental samples have been taken at a sensitive military site in Iran, the head of the U.N. nuclear agency said on Monday, citing "significant progress" in its investigation of Tehran's past activities.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is investigating whether Iran's past nuclear activities were linked to developing atomic weapons, and is due to provide an assessment on the issue by the end of the year.
The report is crucial to the implementation of a
landmark agreement between Iran and world
powers in July under which restrictions will be
placed on Tehran's nuclear energy programer
in exchange for a lifting of sanctions.
IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano said he
and the head of the agency's Department of
Safeguards, which carries out inspections,
visited a building at the Parchin site that the
agency had previously only observed in satellite imagery.
Environmental samples were taken before his
visit on Sunday, and he said "the Iranian side
played a part in the sample-taking process by
swiping samples".
The IAEA says any activities Iran has
undertaken at Parchin since U.N. inspectors
last visited in 2005 could jeopardize its ability to verify Western intelligence suggesting Tehran carried out tests there relevant to nuclear bomb detonations more than a decade ago.
Iran has dismissed the intelligence as "fabricated".
The Vienna-based U.N. watchdog has come
under criticism over a confidential agreement
with Iran that critics say restricts its ability to
investigate at the sprawling Parchin complex.
Under that arrangement, the samples would be
taken by Iranian technicians while IAEA experts present at Parchin would observe and oversee the process, Western diplomats told Reuters.
"The agency can confirm the integrity of the
sampling process and the authenticity of the
samples, which were taken at places of interest to the agency at the particular location in Parchin," Amano said in a statement to reporters. "Authentication by the agency of the samples was achieved through use of an established verification process. The process was carried out under our responsibility and monitoring."
(Reporting by Francois Murphy and Shadia
Nasralla; Editing by Mark Heinrich)