Iran confirms U.N. nuke inspections can resume
16 March 2004
Reuters
TOKYO (Reuters) - Iran's chief nuclear negotiator confirmed on Tuesday that Tehran had agreed to let U.N. nuclear inspectors back into the country on March 27 without any conditions, ending a freeze that Washington had said was an attempt to hide a covert nuclear weapons programme.
"March 27 has been decided as the date," Hassan Rohani, secretary-general of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told a news conference in Tokyo, where he is meeting Japanese officials. "There are no conditions."
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei had said on Monday that Iran had informed him that it would allow nuclear inspectors to return on March 27.
ElBaradei, speaking in Washington, said he regretted the interruption in the inspections but believed the date set for resumption was "still within our time schedule".
The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog condemned Iran on Saturday for suspending inspections. Iran said it had taken the step on Friday to show displeasure at the drafting of an IAEA resolution criticising it for failing to report sensitive research and development that, it argued, could have military use.
The decision to suspend inspections had left a number of diplomats who follow the agency mystified about Iran's motivation -- whether it was only a reaction to Saturday's resolution, a chance to buy time to hide undeclared activities, or an attempt to make it clear Tehran is the one in charge.
http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp?type=worldNews&locale=en_IN&storyID=4574322That was quick.