IAEA Freezes Iran Nuclear Aid Over Plutonium Risk

Iranian Ambassador to the IAEA Ali Ashgar Soltanieh (left) talks with IAEA Secretary-General Muhammad el-Baradei in Vienna on November 23 (epa)

November 23, 2006 -- UN diplomats have been quoted as saying that the UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors today blocked Iran's bid for technical aid for a reactor project due to fears it could yield weapons-grade plutonium.

But the decision, which the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) board adopted by consensus after days of wrangling between industrialized and developing nations, left open the possibility of revisiting Iran's request in future.

According to the diplomats, the board reached a compromise agreeing to give Iran the requested technical assistance on seven other nuclear energy projects judged not to pose a risk of being diverted to bomb-making.

(Reuters, AP, AFP)