WarSclerotic

Iran ‘undecided’ over allowing IAEA fact-finding mission – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

UN nuclear watchdog made request on Thursday, after approving resolution calling on Iran to address concerns about military dimensions of nuclear program.

By DPA

Iran has not made a decision on whether to allow the United Nations nuclear agency to send a mission to address concerns that it had tested designs used to make an atomic weapon, the country’s envoy to the international watchdog said on Saturday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) made the request on Thursday when its board approved a resolution calling on Iran to address concerns about military dimensions to its nuclear program.

	Ayatollah Emami Kashani, bottom left, leads Friday prayers at the Tehran University campus in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Nov. 18, 2011.
	Photo by: AP

“The visit was supposed to take place before the IAEA board meeting and therefore the request by the IAEA general director to dispatch the inspection team should first be examined again by Tehran,” Ali Asghar Soltanieh said Saturday told ISNA news agency.

On Friday, sources reported the United States plans to sanction Iran’s petrochemical industry. The sources said the U.S. wanted to send a strong signal after the UN nuclear watchdog issued a Nov. 8 report saying Iran appeared to have worked on designing an atomic bomb and may still be secretly carrying out related research.

The sources, who said the sanctions could be unveiled as early as Monday, said the U.S. wanted to find a way to bar foreign companies from aiding Iran’s petrochemical industry with the threat of depriving them access to the U.S. market.

While European nations typically resent “extra-territorial” U.S. sanctions on their companies, the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said in this case the Europeans would likely follow suit, though not immediately.

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