Iran inspectors come up empty

ISTANBUL, Turkey – The U.N. nuclear watchdog said Monday that inspectors have uncovered no new evidence of concealed nuclear activities or an atomic weapons program in Iran, though it cautioned that the agency cannot rule out covert activities.

The findings by the International Atomic Energy Agency are contained in a confidential report revealed the day after Iran’s new pledge to suspend its uranium-enrichment program.

The report’s findings and Iran’s promise to suspend enrichment could block U.S. attempts to refer Tehran to the U.N. Security Council for possible economic sanctions when the nuclear agency board meets later this month, diplomats said.

Washington has accused Iran of using its nuclear program as a front to develop atomic weapons. The Iranian government has insisted that its goal is only to generate electricity.

The new report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency constitutes a qualified clean bill of health for Iran and represents a setback for the United States.

“All the declared material in Iran has been accounted for, and therefore, such material is not diverted to prohibited activities,” according to a copy of the report provided to the Los Angeles Times by a Western diplomat. “The agency is, however, not in a position to conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran.”

The report says the agency lacks the legal authority to conduct the extensive inspections required to say with 100 percent assurance that Iran has no nuclear weapons program.

Despite the lingering concerns, two diplomats in Vienna, Austria, said in telephone interviews that they do not expect the United States to be able to muster enough votes to refer Iran to the Security Council when the nuclear agency board meets Nov. 25 at its headquarters in Vienna.

“Barring some new surprise, which no one expects, Washington isn’t going to get anything close to a majority of the 35 board members if they force the issue,” said one of the diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

In Washington, a State Department spokesman indicated the United States still has concerns about Iran’s program.

“Our view has been and remains that given Iran’s past behavior, Iran needed to be referred to the Security Council,” spokesman Richard Boucher said. “For years and even decades, they had a covert nuclear program that was hidden. It constituted, in our view, a clear violation of their commitments.”