UN fears more Iran nuclear secrets

Published: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:21:18

The United Nations nuclear watchdog has lost confidence in Iran to tell the truth about nuclear facilities, it has emerged. Iran was forced to admit to building a previously-unknown uranium enrichment plant near the city of Qom after its existence was revealed by Barack Obama, Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy. In a leaked report the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the Qom site "gives rise to questions about whether there were any other nuclear facilities not declared to the agency".

The report, obtained by the Reuters news agency, said the IAEA was seeking "further clarification" from Iran about the purpose and chronology of the facility. Tehran claims work began at the Qom plant in 2007, but the IAEA, whose inspectors visited the facility last month, believes it started in 2002 before pausing in 2004 and resuming two years later. It is thought that the Qom site could begin to enrich uranium from 2011 onwards.

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly insisted that the country is not aiming to develop nuclear weapons and is merely attempting to enrich uranium for civilian energy projects. Western powers led by the US, UK and France are pushing for further sanctions and energy deals to persuade Iran to give up its uranium enrichment.

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