US Secretary of State John Kerry is heading to Vienna in a last-minute push for a deal in long-running talks aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear activity.The six-nation talks – including the US, Russia and the EU – have until Monday to achieve a breakthrough.World powers want Iran to assure them it is not building a nuclear bomb in exchange for a lifting of sanctions.Meanwhile, the global atomic watchdog has again accused Iran of failing to address doubts over its nuclear work.In a statement on Thursday, the head of the IAEA, Yukiya Amano, said Iran had not “provided any explanations that enable the agency to clarify the outstanding practical measures”.He urged Iran to “increase its cooperation with the agency and to provide timely access to all relevant information, documentation, sites, material and personnel”.Iran had promised to give the IAEA a response by late August to allegations concerning explosives tests and other activity that could be linked to a nuclear weapons programme.The IAEA says it is yet to receive answers.The agency, which reports to the UN, conducts regular inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities but also wants the country’s government to address allegations of suspected covert activity that could yield a weapon.The deal being sought by the world powers is not directly linked to the IAEA’s investigation of Iran.However, the US has said in the past that Iran must address the watchdog’s concerns if it expects a comprehensive agreement in the talks.The US, EU and other powers suspect Iran is secretly seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran has consistently denied that its nuclear programme has a military aspect, insisting that it is only intended to supply its energy and medical needs.Iran had promised to further co-operate with the IAEA, following the election of President Hassan Rouhani last year, in a bid to ease Western sanctions.However, the diplomacy has dragged on without much sign of a deal to end the decade-long stand-off.-BBC
