Iran Blocks UN Inspectors

Nuclear watchdog barred from key site
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 22, 2012 5:29 AM CST
Iran Blocks UN Inspectors
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveils a centrifuge at a ceremony in Tehran.   (Getty Images)

The UN's nuclear watchdog is walking away from its visit to Iran after being prevented from visiting a key military site and clarifying "possible military dimensions" of Iran's nuclear program. An International Atomic Energy Agency team was refused permission to inspect the Parchin site south of Tehran, where it suspects explosives related to nuclear weapons have been tested, the BBC reports.

The agency says "intensive efforts" were made to reach agreement on "facilitating the clarification of unresolved issues" in connection with Iran's nuclear program," but "unfortunately, agreement was not reached on this document"—a statement that counts as blunt language by IAEA standards, Reuters notes. Iran, which denies developing nuclear weapons, says Tehran expects to hold further talks with the agency. (More Iran stories.)

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