IAEA chief expresses "disappointment" at Iran

The outgoing head of the United Nations' atomic watchdog expressed "disappointment" Thursday over Iran and said efforts to verify the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear drive had reached a dead end.

In his last meeting as director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammed ElBaradei told its governing board that recent proposals which have been snubbed by Iran could have paved the way for comprehensive dialogue.

ElBaradei also criticized Iran for long concealing a second uranium enrichment plant in Fordo, near the holy city of Qom, which has strengthened the resolve of six world powers pushing for a resolution against Tehran here.

"I am disappointed that Iran has not so far agreed to the original proposal or the alternative modalities, both of which I believe are balanced and fair and would greatly help to alleviate the concerns relating to Iran's nuclear program," the Egyptian diplomat told the start of the two-day meeting.

He was referring to the lack of response by Iran to a deal, brokered by ElBaradei himself, which would see Russia enrich the uranium needed to fuel a nuclear research reactor in Tehran in return for confidence-building gestures.

I am disappointed that Iran has not so far agreed to the original proposal or the alternative modalities, both of which I believe are balanced and fair and would greatly help to alleviate the concerns relating to Iran's nuclear program

IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei

China and Russia

China said Thursday it is considering supporting "in principle" the IAEA resolution demanding Iran immediately mothball a uranium enrichment site it hid for years.

"We hope that the IAEA (board) can send a signal that Iran should indeed respond to the IAEA proposal as soon as possible. At the same time, we hope that this issue can be resolved through consultation," China's Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said.

Asked if China supported the proposed resolution, He said: "In principle, we are giving consideration to this."

Russia, meanwhile, called on Iran to abide by an accord to enrich uranium abroad under the supervision of IAEA.

Moscow issued the appeal in a meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and Iran's ambassador to Russia, Seyed Mahmoud Reza Sajjadi, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The Russian side stressed the need to observe the principals of the basic deal reached at negotiations on this problem in Geneva on Oct. 1," it said.

Under the terms of the deal, Iran was offered to ship out most of its stockpile of low-enriched uranium for further processing by Russia.

But Iran is reluctant to let go of its uranium, and has proposed a simultaneous exchange of fuel inside Iran instead.

"The proposed agreement is meant to ensure the continued operation of the Tehran Research Reactor and maintain its ability to produce medical isotopes so that cancer patients receive the treatment they need," ElBaradei said.

"Inconsistent with obligations"

The 67-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner said Iran's failure to notify the agency of the existence of the plant near Qom until September 2009 "was inconsistent with its obligations".

"Iran's late declaration of the new facility reduces confidence in the absence of other nuclear facilities under construction in Iran which have not been declared to the agency," he said.

And he complained that there has been no movement for "well over a year" from Iran on allegations it had previously been engaged in studies on nuclear weaponization.

Given the growing frustration over the lack of progress in the long-running standoff with Iran, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany have drawn up a draft resolution to put to the vote by the IAEA board.

According to a copy of the draft resolution obtained by AFP, the six expressed "serious concern" at the revelation of the plant's existence and it urged Iran to clarify the exact purpose of the site as well as the chronology of its construction.

The resolution would need a simple majority to be passed and the fact that Russia and China are ready to support it is seen as a sign of the growing frustration over Iran's refusal to come clean about its atomic ambitions.

Iran's late declaration of the new facility reduces confidence in the absence of other nuclear facilities under construction in Iran which have not been declared to the agency

ElBaradei