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» 05/22/2012 11:38
IRAN – IAEA
UN agency announces breakthrough in nuclear sites inspections
UN agency chief Yukiya Amano’s announcement comes a day before a meeting between the 5+1 group and Iran. However, Washington still does not trust Tehran. Netanyahu urges no concession to the country that wants to destroy Israel.

Vienna
(AsiaNews/Agencies) – The head of the International Atomic Energy
Agency said that a breakthrough pact with Iran is in the making that would allow
the UN agency to resume inspections into suspected secret atomic weapons work. IAEA
chief Yukiya Amano spoke today following a visit to Iran. Foreign Minister Ali
Akbar Salehi welcomed the new “balanced approach toward all IAEA member states,”
defending their right to “the peaceful exploitation of nuclear energy”.

Amano
said differences still existed on “some details,” but he expected the
“almost clean text” to be signed soon. His announcement comes on the
eve of a meeting tomorrow in Baghdad between Iran and the 5+1 group (the five
permanent members of the Security council-United States, Russia, China, United
Kingdom and France- plus Germany).

If
signed, the deal will bring to an end the long confrontation between Iran and
Western powers that led to sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Any agreement
will also include the Parchin military complex (pictured) southeast of Tehran.

Iran
has denied IAEA inspectors access to Parchin, which it has always described as
a conventional military site. However, the UN agency believes Iran conducted nuclear
weapon tests at the compound.

Meanwhile,
the US senate approved a bill to tighten sanctions against Iran, targeting its
oil sector, the country’s main source of revenue.

Washington
still wants Tehran to halt uranium enrichment, which Americans and Israelis see
as a step towards building a nuclear weapon.

“Iran wants to destroy Israel and it is
developing nuclear weapons to fulfill that goal,” Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin
Netanyahu
said.

“Against
this malicious intention, leading world powers need to display determination
and not weakness. They should not make any concessions to Iran,” he added.

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