IAEA team denied permission to visit key Iranian nuclear facility

California Telegraph Wednesday 22nd February, 2012

TEHRAN - Amid Iran's standoff with the West over its contentious nuclear programme, the UN nuclear watchdog has said that Tehran stopped its inspectors from visiting Parchin, a key military site.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also said that it had failed to secure an agreement with Tehran on its nuclear activities despite two-days of talks.

It also claimed to have failed to get Iran to allow the team to inspect Parchin, located south of Tehran, despite "intensive efforts".

The IAEA believes the Parchin site has a provision to test nuclear explosives.

"During both the first and second round of discussions, the agency team requested access to the military site at Parchin. Iran did not grant permission for this visit to take place," the IAEA said in a statement.

"It is disappointing that Iran did not accept our request to visit Parchin. We engaged in a constructive spirit, but no agreement was reached," IAEA chief Yukiya Ama said.

The Western nations believe Tehran's nuclear programme is for military purposes, which Iran has denied.

The US has slapped sanctions on Iran, while the EU has banned import of crude oil from Iran. Both the US and Israel have not ruled out using force against Iran over its nuclear programme.

Meanwhile, Iran's envoy to IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, has said that his country would hold further talks with the UN nuclear watchdog.

"The second round of talks about cooperation between Iran and the agency and interaction with each other was held, and the talks will continue in the future," Soltanieh told ISNA on Tuesday at the end of the two-day talks.

The first round of talks were held in Tehran from January 29 to 31.

However, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano's spokeswoman, Gill Tudor, has said no further meetings were planned.