Iran dismisses ElBaradei's latest report on its nuclear program

Iran on Wednesday dismissed International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei's latest report on Tehran's nuclear program as "devoid of any new points" and insisted there is no obstacle for the agency's inspections of its nuclear sites.

"The latest report of UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei on Iran's nuclear program is devoid of any new points," Ali Soltanieh, Iran's permanent representative to the IAEA, told the official IRNA news agency in Vienna.

"This report is meanwhile an international document that once again confirms the legitimacy of our nuclear activities, and that Iran has not breached any of its international commitments, and that our activities have no deviation from peaceful objectives," he said.

"Although Iran has pursued its enrichment activities, it has never created any obstacles in the way of the agency's inspections, or made any attempt aimed at delaying them, pursuing full cooperation with IAEA inspectors," Soltanieh said.

His remarks came just after a confidential report of the international nuclear watchdog saying that Iran has expanded its uranium enrichment activities in defiance of UN demands to scrap its nuclear-related program.

The report also expressed concern about its "deteriorating" understanding of unexplored aspects of the program.

The report, which was posted on the IAEA internal website, blamed Iran for blocking IAEA efforts to probe its nuclear activities. It was handed over to the UN Security Council president for distribution among its members.

Deputy chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Mohammad Saeedi also said on Wednesday that there is no obstacle for legal inspections of its nuclear sites by the international nuclear watchdog.

IAEA's inspections of the nuclear facilities are based on Iran's legal commitments, Saeedi told IRNA.

He also defended Iran's move earlier this year when it decided to limit its cooperation with the IAEA after the UN Security Council imposed new sanctions against the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

"The main reason for suspension of subsidiary arrangements ... were the countries proposing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions against the Islamic Republic," Saeedi was quoted as saying.

Iran had accepted the subsidiary arrangements of the safeguards within Iran's cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog agency in 2002 and thereby it had "promptly informed" the IAEA of any decision to build new nuclear facilities.

By limiting its cooperation with the IAEA on these agreements, Iran would no longer inform the IAEA of new installations until six months before they are brought into service.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani on Wednesday was quoted by the state television as saying that Iran continues to cooperate with the IAEA and abide by its commitment to carry out the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted on March 24 a new resolution with tougher sanctions to pressure Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities.

Iran has refused to heed the Security Council's demand, insisting that its nuclear programs are for peaceful purposes only.

The United States and some other Western countries have accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of its civilian nuclear programs.