UN nuclear inspectors have visited sites related to the former Lavizan military complex in Iran in what is a key concession in the UN investigation of the Islamic Republic's contested nuclear program, diplomats have told AFP.
A diplomat close to the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told AFP that IAEA inspectors had visited sites related to Lavizan and seen equipment.
The access comes ahead of a meeting in London of the foreign ministers of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China to attempt to find agreement on how to respond to Iran's resumption of sensitive nuclear activities.
The European trio and the United States want to take Iran before the UN Security Council, which has enforcement powers such as sanctions, to pressure Tehran to cease all nuclear fuel work and to comply fully with a now three-year-old IAEA investigation into Tehran's atomic program, which the United States charges hides secret weapons work.
Along with Iran's resumption of enrichment-related activities, the IAEA has also criticised Tehran for lack of access to monitor its program.
The promise of access to Lavizan was made last week during a visit by the IAEA's deputy director for safeguards, Ollie Heinonen.
Iran tried to acquire equipment that could have been used in uranium enrichment at the Lavizan site, the IAEA said in a report in November 2004.
Iran has removed buildings and topsoil from Lavizan but IAEA inspectors have wanted to investigate machines that were used there and which could be either for civilian or weapons purposes.
Diplomats and analysts said the Iranian move is consistent with its past behaviour of making concessions when faced with an international crackdown.
But non-proliferation analyst Gary Samore from the MacArthur Foundation in Chicago has warned that Iran "uses cooperation as a tool".
"Rather than fully cooperate, they try to dole out small portions of cooperation and to hold out in other areas where they may be hiding things," he said.
The Europeans and the United States are pushing for a stern resolution at the IAEA meeting on Thursday that declares the UN body no longer has confidence in Iran's intentions regarding its nuclear program.
Russia and China, which have strong trade ties with Iran, want to have a decision postponed for one month to allow for further diplomacy.
AFP
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