Vienna, 19 June 2003 (RFE/RL) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is meeting today in Vienna and expected to say Iran has failed to comply with UN nuclear safeguard obligations. The U.S. representative in the UN watchdog agency, Kenneth Brill, has accused Iran of secretly developing a nuclear weapons program and is calling for detailed UN inspections.
Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Salehi, said Tehran is not prepared at this time to allow further inspections, but will give the matter "positive consideration" if IAEA adopts language of compromise rather than force in dealing with the issue.
The IAEA said Kuwaiti representative Nabeela al-Mulla, who is chairing the IAEA meeting, will issue a statement calling on Iran to answer the agency's questions about its nuclear program.
But reports say the statement is unlikely to say Iran is in "noncompliance" with its safeguards agreement -- a statement desired by the United States.
U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday said he and other world leaders will not tolerate nuclear weapons in Iran.
Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Salehi, said Tehran is not prepared at this time to allow further inspections, but will give the matter "positive consideration" if IAEA adopts language of compromise rather than force in dealing with the issue.
The IAEA said Kuwaiti representative Nabeela al-Mulla, who is chairing the IAEA meeting, will issue a statement calling on Iran to answer the agency's questions about its nuclear program.
But reports say the statement is unlikely to say Iran is in "noncompliance" with its safeguards agreement -- a statement desired by the United States.
U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday said he and other world leaders will not tolerate nuclear weapons in Iran.