Iran's caution under sanctions eases heat at IAEA

[oblivious]

Iran's caution under sanctions eases heat at IAEA
Fri Jan 12, 2007 12:03pm

VIENNA (Reuters) - Talk of staging a special U.N. nuclear watchdog meeting to pile pressure on Iran has abated because of its moderate response to new U.N. sanctions and a wish to avoid damaging strife within the agency, diplomats say.

...Iran was reacting cautiously to the resolution following election losses by nuclear hardliners to moderates counseling restraint.

...Developing nations oppose what they regard as a U.S.-European effort, spurred by suspicion over Iran's intentions, to curb IAEA technical aid that has long been routine and given them a major stake in the agency's non-proliferation regime.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-01-12T170152Z_01_L12835806_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAN-NUCLEAR-IAEA.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsHome-C1-topNews-2
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201127.html
http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=1/13/2007&Cat=2&Num=003

IAEA inspectors in Iran's Isfahan nuclear facility
Jan 11, 2007
Two inspectors from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived in the Islamic Republic of Iran on Wednesday. The inspectors are to inspect Iran's nuclear installations in Isfahan and Natanz and also hold discussions with officials of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization.

The inspectors, who arrived on Wednesday, are currently inspecting UCF installations in Isfahan. The IAEA inspectors will remain in Iran for a week during which they will discuss expansion of mutual cooperation between the two sides.

IAEA inspectors have conducted some 2,510 person/day of inspection of Iran's nuclear facilities and installations, pointed out the source.

http://www.iranian.ws/iran_news/publish/article_20135.shtml

ElBaradei Calls for an End to Standoffs with Iran, DPRK

...Despite intense propaganda by the US and some EU countries, the regular visits of the International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to the Iranian nuclear sites and installations further illustrates Iran's transparent cooperation with the IAEA.

In addition, all Iran's nuclear activities are also supervised and recorded by the IAEA cameras installed in all Iranian nuclear sites and centers.

So far an unprecedented figure of over 2000 person/day inspections have been carried out of Iran's nuclear facilities by the IAEA and all inspection reports, including those presented by the IAEA Director-General Mohammad ElBaradei to the UNSC and Board of Governors, are in confirmation of Iran's continued adherence to the IAEA and NPT rules and regulations.

...IAEA has stressed that Iran's nuclear activities, particularly its enrichment programs and activities, are under tight supervision of the Agency, reminding that while uranium must be enriched to a level beyond 90% of purity to be used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons, Iran has so far done the enrichment up to the purity level of only 3.5%.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8510210176

Confusion prompts new concerns about Iran's nuclear progress
By Associated Press January 12, 2007
Iran's uranium enrichment program appears stalled despite tough talk from the Tehran leadership, leaving intelligence services guessing about why the country has not made good on plans to press ahead with activities that the West fears could be used to make nuclear arms, diplomats said.

...Still, Tehran's reluctance to crank up activities at its declared enrichment site at Natanz when it seems to have the technical know-how for at least experimental work is puzzling the diplomatic and intelligence communities -- with some saying it was potentially worrisome.

...At the same time, though, they said the lack of new activity at the two pilot enrichment plants set up at Natanz could be good news.

The diplomats said that suggests possible Iranian hesitancy to provoke U.N. Security Council sanctions harsher than the relatively mild penalties agreed last month in response to Tehran's refusal to heed an August council deadline to suspend enrichment. Or, they said, it could be a sign of headway by relative moderates in the leadership unhappy with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's confrontational manner.

http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Security/10327.htm