![](\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2010\/09\/amano.jpg\" "\\"amano\\"")
The Washington Post – The head of the United Nations\u2019 nuclear watchdog said Monday his agency could not rule out the possibility that Iran was actively seeking nuclear weapons technology, citing intelligence on suspicious research by Iranian scientists that occurred as recently as a few years ago.<\/p>\n
Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said it was crucial that Iran come clean on its nuclear past, granting full access to Iranian facilities and documents as well as key scientists believed involved in the work.<\/p>\n
\u201cIran\u2019s activities could be continuing up until now. I have asked Iran to clarify,\u201d Amano said during a conference on nuclear nonproliferation in Washington.<\/p>\n
Amano was responding to questions about the IAEA\u2019s repeated efforts to gain access to a military facility near Tehran where Iranian scientists are believed to have conducted secret research a decade ago on an explosive trigger used in detonating nuclear bombs. U.S. intelligence officials believe the military base, known as Parchin, was part of an extensive research program aimed at gathering know-how for nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n
Western spy agencies believe the work was suspended under orders of the country\u2019s leadership in 2003. But IAEA reports have hinted about evidence of ongoing but apparently limited research that occurred as recently as 2009.
Amano said there is no hard evidence that the work continues today, but he said Iran\u2019s lack of transparency continues to create doubts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have credible information that Iran continued its activities beyond 2003,\u201d Amano told an audience of nuclear and arms-control experts at the annual Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference.Officially, \u201cwe do not know\u201d whether the research remains active, he said.<\/p>\n
The comments came on the heels of a diplomatic setback in efforts to ease international anxiety over Iran\u2019s nuclear advances. Negotiators from Iran and six world powers made no perceptible progress during weekend talks in Kazakhstan intended to forge an agreement on limiting the size of Iran\u2019s nuclear program. Iran, which insists it is seeking only peaceful nuclear energy, has demanded broad relief from economic sanctions in return for any limits on its enriched uranium stockpile.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said time could be running out for diplomacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not something where you can play to the clock,\u201d Kerry said at a news conference during a visit to Turkey. \u201cYou can\u2019t just delay and talk for the sake of talking. So we would repeat to Iran it is our desire to have a diplomatic solution, but this choice really lies in the hands of Iranians.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Washington Post – The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said Monday his agency could not rule out the possibility that Iran was actively seeking nuclear weapons technology, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[175],"class_list":{"0":"post-13328","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-nuclear","7":"tag-updated"},"yoast_head":"\n