IAEA: failed negotiations on Iran's nuclear program
Tehran denies UN technical agency authorization, called to inspect a site south of the capital. The Director General expresses "disappointment" and precludes more talks soon. Iranian envoy speaks of "intense" meetings which will continue in the future. Little progress achieved so far.

Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Iran has denied permission for a team of UN experts, called to inspect a military site. UN Agency for Nuclear Energy Agency (IAEA) sources report that negotiators have not reached an agreement on the inspection area of Parchin, south of Tehran, despite the "intense efforts" made in the field. The UN envoys were to clarify the "possible military dimensions" of the Iranian nuclear program. In a press release, the Director General of IAEA Yukiya Amano expressed his "disappointment" because the ayatollahs' regime "has not accepted our request to visit Parchin."

According to Iran's nuclear program is peaceful in nature and serves only to energy production, without any implications of a military nature. In contrast, the West does not believe the Tehran and said that studies are designed to produce a nuclear bomb. UN Atomic Agency sources reported that, after the two days of talks, the team leaves the country with no agreement on a document that would "facilitate the clarification of outstanding issues." A stalemate following the failure of the meetings in January, also failed to produce results whatsoever.

Analysts and experts suspect that Parchin is the area where, in recent years, the regime has tested explosives related to their atomic program. Iran's envoy at the IAEA, based in Vienna, said Tehran "expects" new talks for the future with representatives of the agency. Ali Asghar Soltanieh described the meetings as "intense" and said they will continue "in the future."

However, experts stress that so far the negotiations have had "little progress" and that Tehran's refusal is "not surprising". Gill Tudor, spokesman for the IAEA director general, added that "at the moment" there is no agreement for "more talks" or meetings "in the immediate future", contradicting the Iranian envoy.

In recent days the United States and European Union had expressed "cautious optimism" (see AsiaNews 18/02/2012 Iran's nuclear program: U.S. and EU cautiously optimistic in resumption of dialogue) for the possible resumption of talks with Tehran. The lack of agreement could give new impetus to the interventionist front, with Israel pushing for a military strike against Iranian nuclear sites.