IAEA committed to constructive dialogue with Iran

TEHRAN, March 4: The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Monday that the agency is committed to engaging in constructive dialogue with Iran.

However, Yukiya Amano said negotiations must proceed with “a sense of urgency and a focus on achieving concrete results” soon, Reuters reported. Addressing the IAEA’s 35-nation board of governors, Amano urged Iran to give his inspectors immediate access to the Parchin military site. Iran has made it clear that access to the conventional military site would not be possible before an agreement is reached on the structured approach document.

“Providing access to the Parchin site would be a positive step which would help to demonstrate Iran’s willingness to engage with the agency on the substance of our concerns,” Amano said, according to a copy of his speech. He also claimed that he was “unable to report any progress” in efforts since early 2012 to clarify concerns about Iran’s nuclear program.

The IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities and has never found any evidence showing that Iran’s civilian nuclear program has been diverted to a nuclear weapons production.