Iran a ‘special case’ for UN atomic watchdog

VIENNA: UN atomic watchdog chief Yukiya Amano described Iran as a “special case” in terms of the agency’s monitoring work owing to allegations of possible military dimensions to its disputed  atomic drive.

The West has long accused Iran of seeking to build a nuclear bomb, a charge that Tehran vehemently denies. But after more than seven years of intensive investigations, the International Atomic Energy Agency is still not in a position if the country’s nuclear activities are entirely peaceful as Tehran claims.

Iran insists that its case should be treated as routine matter by the IAEA, as is the case with any other member state.

But in his opening address to the agency’s 35-member board of governors here, Amano said: “Iran is a special case because, among other things, of the existence of issues related to possible military dimensions to its nuclear programme.”

The IAEA’s regular June board meeting is taking place as the UN Security Council in New York prepares to vote on a further round of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear work.

In its latest report on Iran, circulated to member states last week, the IAEA complained that Tehran is pressing ahead with its contested uranium enrichment activities -- despite three existing rounds of UN sanctions -- and is now producing enriched uranium at even higher levels of purification.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2010.