Iran bars UN inspectors from military site
The UN nuclear watchdog says it failed to secure an agreement with Iran over nuclear activities and that the country barred its team from visiting a key military site.
In the second trip in less than a month, a senior team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), led by Herman Nackaerts (pictured) had travelled to Tehran to press Iranian officials to start addressing mounting concerns that the Islamic republic may be seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
The outcome seems likely to add to already soaring tension between Iran and western powers, which have ratcheted up sanctions on the major oil producer in recent months.
“During both the first and second round of discussions, the agency team requested access to the military site at Parchin. Iran did not grant permission for this visit to take place,” the Vienna-based IAEA said in a statement after the talks.
The IAEA named Parchin in a detailed report in November that lent independent weight to Western fears that Iran was working to develop an atomic bomb, an allegation Iranian officials reject.
“It is disappointing that Iran did not accept our request to visit Parchin. We engaged in a constructive spirit, but no agreement was reached,” said IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano.
Read more: Iranian nuclear weapon 'getting closer'
Iran unveiled new centrifuges able to enrich uranium much faster, a move sure to intensify suspicions that it is seeking to make atomic bombs.
“The era of bullying nations has past. The arrogant powers cannot monopolise nuclear technology. They tried to prevent us by issuing sanctions and resolutions but failed,” Mr Ahmadinejad said in a live television broadcast.
“Our nuclear path will continue.”
He added that the “fourth generation” of centrifuge would be able to refine uranium three times as fast as previously.