Iran says IAEA report 'proof' its atomic work peaceful

Iran has said a new report by the UN atomic energy agency on its nuclear activities is "proof" the programme is peaceful, as analysts played down the agency's discovery of higher-grade uranium traces.

Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was speaking late yesterday after the report, circulated earlier in the day, revealed that uranium traces of a higher grade than any found before had been detected.
The report, he said, "is more proof of the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities and of our country's success in the field of nuclear technology, in particular enrichment, and its full cooperation with the agency."
The report, seen by AFP yesterday, said the traces found at the Fordo site, inside a mountain near Qom, were of uranium enriched to purities of 27 per cent.
Soltanieh gave no direct reaction to the discovery itself.
"The report once again proves to the international community that all Iranian nuclear activities are successfully underway and are uninterrupted, and that there is no diversion in Iran's nuclear material towards military objectives," he said.
Iran has told the IAEA that the Fordo site was enriching only to 20 per cent, which was already of concern to the watchdog since the capability to do so shortens the theoretical time needed to enrich to weapons-grade uranium of 90 per cent.
Soltanieh's comments come after the P5+1 powers-the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany proposed in a meeting with Iran this week that Iran stop 20-per cent enrichment and a suspension of all activities at Fordo, diplomats said.
The IAEA report said Iran had indicated that the production of nuclear particles "above the target value" may have happened "for technical reasons beyond the operator's control."
"The agency is assessing Iran's explanation and has requested further details. On 5 May 2012, the agency took further environmental samples from the same location.... These samples are currently being analysed," it said.