TOKYO, March 16: Iran's top nuclear policy-maker Hassan Rowhani, now on a three-day visit to Japan, said on Tuesday Tehran is to accept an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection unconditionally.
Iran had put off inspections scheduled for last week in order to protest the drafting of a tough resolution by IAEA that raised questions over Iran's failure to declare its possession of certain equipment and materials which could be used to make nuclear weapons..
"The 27th has been confirmed," Mr Rowhani told a news conference, referring to remarks on Monday by Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the UN nuclear watchdog, that Iran had agreed to let its inspectors into the country on March 27.
"And there is no condition" on the planned inspection, said Mr Rowhani, secretary general of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Hassan Rowhani criticized Britain, France and Germany for not defending Tehran's views at recent talks on international inspections. "The IAEA resolution was not drafted in a fair way," Mr Rowhani said.
"The Europeans acted in a relatively positive way. Nonetheless, their actions, and in particular that of the three countries that are our interlocutors at the talks, did not meet our expectations," Mr Rowhani said. But Mr ElBaradei told reporters in Washington on Monday he was informed of the agreement, saying this would be in time for the IAEA to report its findings on Iran to the next agency board meeting in Vienna in June.
Mr Rowhani, widely considered Iran's leading presidential candidate in the next election, arrived in Japan on Monday to hold talks with Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
At the news conference, Mr Rowhani, who has been his country's chief negotiator with the IAEA, reiterated Tehran's anti-nuclear policy. "Iran did not hope to produce nuclear weapons in the past and will never do so in the future," Rowhani said.
"We will continue working hard until the international community believes that Iran's nuclear development is completely based on a peaceful purpose," he said.
Rowhani hinted at Tehran's intention of resuming its uranium enrichment program for energy use after "completely" winning international confidence in its nuclear policy.
He said the United States' accusations of his country's suspected nuclear arms development were "groundless." "As for Iraq, the United States has said Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, but such weapons of mass destruction have not been found," he said. -AFP