Iran has denied reports that Tehran had hindered International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections of its nuclear sites, the local Fars News Agency reported Friday.

The IAEA inspectors were continuing with their activities in Iran and their inspections had not been limited or troubled, Ali Soltanieh, Iran's permanent representative to the IAEA, told Fars.

Ali Soltanieh made the denial after Austria Press Agency (APA) reported Monday, citing unidentified IAEA officials, that Iran had refused UN inspectors' access to its underground nuclear facilities at Natanz in central Iran.

The officials believed that Iran's unprecedented refusal to allow the inspectors' access to the nuclear site could lead to further frustration of the international efforts to solve Iran's nuclear issue in a diplomatic way.

Asked about Iran's reported exclusion of two inspectors from the list of IAEA experts who had been scheduled to visit Iran's facilities, Soltanieh said that Iran had taken the measure in compliance with the comprehensive IAEA safeguard agreement.

"Every NPT (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) member state is entitled to ask for the exclusion of one or more inspectors from the list of those who are nominated to pay visits to the nuclear facilities and sites of that specific country," he said, adding "This is nothing abnormal."

However, the IAEA accepted Tehran's demand in compliance with the rules, Soltanieh added.

The West has accused Iran of trying to produce nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear power program, which was categorically denied by Tehran.

Iran, the world's fourth largest oil exporter, says it needs to enrich uranium as a peaceful, alternative energy source and has the right to do so under the NPT.
 
Iran soon to announce new nuclear achievements
 
Iran has made fresh achievements in its peaceful nuclear activities and will soon announce them, government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham said Friday.

According to the official IRNA news agency, Elham said Iran has also achieved progress in other areas of science and technology.

The Iranian government spokesman made the remarks in a pre-sermon lecture at the Friday prayer congregation in Tehran, but he did not elaborate on when Iran would make the announcement.

On Wednesday, the semi-official Mehr news agency said that Iran would soon announce an atomic breakthrough, which came just one day after Tehran made a response to a six-nations package aimed at resolving the Iranian nuclear issue.

"This great scientific achievement is the result of a long-term research project ... A top official will formally make the announcement," Mehr quoted an unidentified source as reporting.

"The announcement will highlight Iran's mastery of different areas in nuclear science and will reinforce Iran's position as a nuclear country," the report said.

Iran is accused by the West of trying to produce nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear power program.

However, Iran, the world's fourth largest oil exporter, says it needs to enrich uranium as a peaceful, alternative energy source and has the right to do so under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

In April, Iran declared that it had gained a ticket to join the global nuclear club by having successfully produced 3.5 percent enriched uranium, a technological leap in the process for nuclear power plant construction.

Enriched uranium is the key material for civil nuclear fuel cycle construction, but it also can be used for building nuclear weapons at a degree of enrichment as high as 90 percent.

On June 6, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana presented Iran with a package agreed on by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely the US, Russia, China, France and Britain, plus Germany concerning the Iranian nuclear issue.

The proposal includes both incentives aimed at persuading Iran to suspend uranium enrichment and possible sanctions if Iran does not comply.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani delivered Teheran's written response to the incentives package on Tuesday and urged the six nations to get back to negotiations, saying Iran was ready to start "serious talks" over its nuclear program.

The US said on Wednesday that Iran's response fell short of the conditions of a UN Security Council resolution.

"The response however, falls short of the conditions set by the Security Council, which require the full and verifiable suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities," US State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said in a statement.

The UN Security Council on July 31 adopted a resolution urging Tehran to "suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development" by August 31 or face the prospect of sanctions.

Iran has rejected the resolution, saying it has no legal basis.

(Xinhua News Agency August 26, 2006)