VIENNA (World News) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog signaled on Monday it would press Iran for access to a military facility where it suspects the Islamic state has built a chamber for high-explosive tests that could serve a bid to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran, which rejects Western accusations it seeks atomic arms, has so far resisted requests by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit the extensive Parchin complex southeast of Tehran. The issue was expected to be raised during a high-level May 14-15 Vienna meeting between Iran and the IAEA.
An IAEA report last November found Iran had built a large containment vessel in 2000 at the site in which to conduct high-explosive tests that the U.N. agency said were "strong indicators of possible (nuclear) weapon development".
"A building was constructed at that time around a large cylindrical object ... A large earth berm was subsequently constructed between the building containing the cylinder and a neighboring building, indicating the probable use of high explosives in the chamber."
The IAEA said it had obtained satellite im ages that were consistent with this information. The vessel was designed to contain the detonation of up to 70 kg of high explosives.
Western diplomats say they suspect Iran may be cleaning the location to remove incriminating evidence before inspectors can go there. A U.S. security institute said last week satellite imagery showed activity there which it said raised concern that Iran may be "washing" the building the IAEA wants to see.
Iran's ambassador to the IAEA has previously dismissed such suspicions about Parchin as "childish" and "ridiculous".
Herman Nackaerts, IAEA deputy director general, said Iran must give his inspectors access to sites, information and people as he began the two-day meeting with Iranian officials on the country's disputed atomic activities.
The talks in Vienna will test Iran's readiness to address U. N. inspectors' suspicions of military dimensions to its nuclear program, ahead of high-stakes talks on the program in Baghdad next week between Iran and six world powers.
Two previous rounds of talks in Tehran this year with U.N. inspectors failed to make any notable progress, especially on their request to go to Parchin.
"The aim ... is to reach agreement on an approach to resolve all outstanding issues with Iran," Nackaerts told reporters as he arrived at an Iranian diplomatic mission in a smart area of Vienna.
"In particular, clarification of the possible military dimensions remains our priority ... It is important now that we can engage on the substance of these issues and that Iran let us have access to people, documents, information and sites."
DIPLOMACY REVIVED
Nackaerts did not nam e the sites, but IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said earlier this month that gaining access to Parchin would be the priority for the IAEA in the talks.
Western diplomats will be watching the discussions for any sign that Iran is now ready to make concrete concessions, saying this would send a positive message ahead of the Baghdad talks.
Iran and the powers involved in nuclear diplomacy - the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - revived negotiations in Istanbul last month after a 15-month hiatus and both sides say they hope for progress in Baghdad.
The resumption of diplomacy offers a chance to defuse tension that has led the United States and the European Union to try to block Iran's oil exports through sanctions, and raised fears of a new Middle East war.
The West suspects Iran is seeking to develop the capability to make nuclear bombs, although intelligence officials believe Tehran has not made a decision whether to actually build them.
The Islamic Republic, one of the world's largest oil producers, says its atomic program is a peaceful push to generate more electricity for a rapidly growing population.
Israel - widely believed to hold the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal - and the United States have not ruled out military action to prevent Iran from obtaining atomic bombs if negotiations fail to achieve this peacefully.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the EU wanted to see "concrete steps and proposals" from Iran.
"Without that, of course we have sanctions we have imposed. They will not only be enforced but, over time, intensified," he told reporters before a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
HIGHER-GRADE ENRICHMENT
The IAEA wants Iran to address in particular Western intelligence reports pointing to past and possibly current research activity relevant to developing the means and technologies to build nuclear weapons, including those suspected to have taken place at Parchin.
Iran says the accusations are fabricated.
It has suggested that a broader agreement with the IAEA - which regularly monitors Iran's declared nuclear sites - on how to address the agency's outstanding questions must be reached before it would consider letting inspectors into Parchin.
Western diplomats see this as a stalling tactic and do not expect Iran suddenly to allow access to Parchin.
"I would be very surprised," one diplomat said, suggesting that the Islamic Republic would want to ext ract the maximum diplomatic benefit from any such concession.
At the Baghdad talks, the big powers will press for concrete confidence-building steps by Iran.
A Western priority is for Iran to halt the higher-grade uranium enrichment work it started two years ago and has since expanded, potentially shortening the time needed to build a bomb. Iran wants the meeting to yield a deal on an easing of sanctions, something the West will be reluctant to consider before seeing substantive concessions.
Refined uranium can be used to fuel nuclear power plants, which are Iran's stated aim, or provide material for bombs if processed further, which the West suspect is the country's ultimate intention.
Outside the Iranian mission, a small group of Iranian opposition supporters shouted anti-government slogans and urged world powers to "stop g iving them more time" to develop a bomb.
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