The head of the United Nations nuclear agency is stepping up pressure on Iran to address suspicions over nuclear weapons development, calling once again for Tehran to grant his inspectors access to a key military site.
Speaking at the 35-nation International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors meeting Monday in Vienna, Yukiya Amano said that without more cooperation from Iran, his agency "cannot conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities."
Echoing comments from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry who spoke in Saudi Arabia Monday, the IAEA chief added that further negotiations with Iran must "proceed with a sense of urgency."
The last meeting about Iran's nuclear program ended last week in Kazakhstan with an agreement to meet again. But the talks between Tehran and the so-called P5+1 group — Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany — produced no concrete results.
The IAEA has tried for more than a year to visit the Parchin site to address Western allegations that Iran is developing a nuclear weapons' capability under the guise of a civilian atomic energy program.
Iran denies working or ever having worked on nuclear weapons, saying its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
Speaking at the 35-nation International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors meeting Monday in Vienna, Yukiya Amano said that without more cooperation from Iran, his agency "cannot conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities."
Echoing comments from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry who spoke in Saudi Arabia Monday, the IAEA chief added that further negotiations with Iran must "proceed with a sense of urgency."
The last meeting about Iran's nuclear program ended last week in Kazakhstan with an agreement to meet again. But the talks between Tehran and the so-called P5+1 group — Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany — produced no concrete results.
The IAEA has tried for more than a year to visit the Parchin site to address Western allegations that Iran is developing a nuclear weapons' capability under the guise of a civilian atomic energy program.
Iran denies working or ever having worked on nuclear weapons, saying its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
