Diplomats: US intelligence report validates IAEA assessment

Dec 4, 2007, 13:11 GMT

Vienna - A US intelligence report saying Iran had stopped its nuclear arms drive in 2003 'confirmed' the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) investigation into the country's nuclear programme, diplomats close to the UN nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday.

Iran halted its atomic weapons programme in late 2003 and seems less determined to develop nuclear arms than previously believed, but has continued to enrich uranium and could have enough material to build a bomb between 2010 and 2015, according to the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report released on Monday.

However, the IAEA never concluded Iran was pursuing a nuclear weapons programme. In his latest report to the UN Security Council, IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei reiterated that no evidence of undeclared material had been found.

Despite the validation of efforts by IAEA inspectors, more verification work needed to be done, Vienna-based diplomats said. Iran still needed to improve transparency and cooperation.

The IAEA was 'not in a position to provide credible assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities,' ElBaradei's November report said.

ElBaradei had been under fire for allegedly being too soft on Iran, and overstepping his mandate by negotiating a separate cooperation work plan with Iran.

The NIE report came as the United States and it partners are working on a fresh round of tougher UN Security Council sanctions against Tehran for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.

The report changed nothing on the new sanctions drive, European diplomats said. In fact, the US repositioning could facilitate Russia's agreement to sanctions.

Conclusions drawn from the NIE report should be seen as an 'opening through which to pursue negotiations,' one diplomat in Vienna said.