World powers turn up heat on Iran

Irans President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking in New York 25/9/09

World powers have increased pressure on Iran, urging the country to reveal the nature of its nuclear programme during six-party talks in Geneva.

A spokesman for the German chancellor said Iran was "comprehensively failing to co-operate".

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran was the wrong side of the law in hiding a second uranium plant.

Tehran revealed the existence of the previously secret site, partially built into a mountain, last week.

"Iran was supposed to inform us on the day it was decided to construct the facility. They have not done that," Mohamed El Baradei, the head of the IAEA, told CNN-IBN Television.

Negotiations

Iran has said that it will allow IAEA inspectors in to view the site, thought to be near Qom, but has not said when the inspections can take place.

Iranian representatives will meet on Thursday for talks with the five permanent Security Council seat holders - the UK, China, France, Russia and the US - plus Germany - the so-called P+1.

The US and its allies are contemplating tightening sanctions against the country. The UN Security Council has so far imposed three sets of sanctions against Iran over its refusal to freeze its nuclear programme.

Pressure

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in comments quoted by the Irna news agency, said he saw the discussions as both an opportunity and a test.

He said the meeting represented an "exceptional opportunity for [Western countries] to change their situation in the world and correct their way of dealing with nations".

In an apparent reference to US President Barack Obama, he added: "These talks could be a test to verify whether some governments are determined to follow up the slogan of change".

In Washington, a US state department spokesman said he hoped the session would pave the way for further discussions with Iran.

"We're not going to make a snap judgement on Thursday. We're going to see how that meeting goes, evaluate the willingness of Iran to engage on these issues," PJ Crowley said.

Iran insists that all its nuclear facilities are for peaceful energy purposes and rejects accusations from the US and others that it is seeking a nuclear weapon.

Russia recently signalled it might be prepared to soften its opposition to further sanctions.

China, which is also a permanent Security Council member, has said such pressure would not be effective.

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