IAEA Hiding Information about Iran Nuclear Program

It is alleged that the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is hiding information that has come to its attention about Iran’s aspirations to produce nuclear weapons. Western diplomats are claiming that the IAEA is refraining from publishing evidence that it has uncovered showing that Iran is pursuing a military nuclear program.

The IAEA Director General, Mohammed ElBaradei, will vacate his post at the end of 2009. He is quoted as saying that the IAEA has no evidence to show that Iran is developing a nuclear weapon. The sources claim, however, that this information has been obtained by the IAEA in a classified report signed by the head of its team in Iran. None of this has been incorporated in the IAEA’s published reports which were censored by senior officials to exclude the new information. ElBaradei has come under pressure to make public the findings from Iran, and the western diplomats are expecting this to be published during the next month.

The IAEA has previously criticised Iran for barring its inspectors from its nuclear facilities, but has not gone as far as accusing Iran of developing nuclear weapons.

Although Israel’s sophisticated intelligence means that it does not rely upon the information published by the IAEA for its own internal use, there is no doubt that the publication of such information by the IAEA will place significant international pressure on Iran’s nuclear industry.

Israel is hoping that ElBaradei’s successor, Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano, will adopt a tougher line on Iran’s nuclear program.