IAEA turns up heat on Iran over alleged nuclear weapons work

VIENNA (AFP) - The UN atomic watchdog called on Iran Monday to clear up allegations that it had been involved in nuclear warhead studies, while Tehran protested it has not seen any evidence backing up the charges.

Instead of simply dismissing the allegations as “forged” and “fabricated”, Iran “should clarify the extent to which the documentation is factually correct and where, as it asserts, such information may have been fabricated or relates to non-nuclear purposes,” IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei said.

Iran should provide “substantive information to support its statements and access to relevant documentations and individuals,” ElBaradei told the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-member board.

In a report last week, ElBaradei had accused Iran of stalling an UN investigation into its disputed nuclear programme.

After six years of intensive investigation, the IAEA still has not been able to determine whether the activities are entirely peaceful, as Iran claims.

The current main sticking point is the “alleged studies”, referring to documentation found on a laptop in Iran which suggests Tehran may have been trying to develop a nuclear warhead, convert uranium and test high explosives and a missile re-entry vehicle.