Iran Blocks U.N. Nuclear Inspectors

The team, led by the IAEA Deputy Director General Herman Nackaerts and the agency's number two Rafael Grossi, will arrive in Tehran on Sunday at the invitation of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI).

The visit is aimed at holding talks within the framework of the IAEA article of association to bolster cooperation between the two sides by resolving ambiguities.

The UN atomic agency's team has no plan to inspect Iran's nuclear facilities.

Members of the I.A.E.A. delegation were told that they could not have access to Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, an academic who is widely believed to be in charge of important elements of the suspected weaponization program, and that they could not visit a military site where the agency’s report suggested key experiments on weapons technology might have been carried out.

“The agency expressed interest in all the areas of concern,” said a diplomat based in Vienna, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “The team asked for access in the future to different types of sites and personnel, and that was denied.”

1 February 2012 | Meetings between the IAEA and Iran were held in Tehran from 29 to 31 January 2012, aimed at resolving all outstanding substantive issues. Another meeting will take place in Tehran from 21 to 22 February 2012.

The IAEA explained its concerns and identified its priorities, which focus on the clarification of possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear programme. The IAEA also discussed with Iran the topics and initial steps to be taken, as well as associated modalities. "The Agency is committed to intensifying dialogue. It remains essential to make progress on substantive issues," IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said.