IN THE face of mounting pressure from the United States to come clean on its nuclear ambitions, Iran denied yesterday that it was concealing any facilities from United Nations inspectors. It added that it would sign up to tougher inspections only if it were allowed access to advanced atomic technology for civilian purposes.

After the leaked details of a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran’s nuclear industry, the head of the country’s nuclear energy body challenged the US to come up with hard evidence, accusing it of trying to find a pretext to find fault with the Islamic republic.

“We do not have any site in Iran which is necessary to declare to the agency based on its regulations . . . I want to tell the American leaders that one day you will have to give evidence to prove your accusations against us,” Gholam Reza Aghazadeh told a press conference. “(The) report shows that there is no violation by Iran, and the United States is magnifying a very insignificant thing.”

His comments illustrate how insecure Iran feels, now that its neighbours in Afghanistan and Iraq have been toppled by American forces. After it was included on President Bush’s “axis of evil” list, many people are convinced that Washington is looking for an excuse to bring about regime change.

The confidential IAEA report, which is due to be discussed at a key board of governors meeting of member states on June 16, and which has been seen by The Times, has found that Iran “failed to meet its obligations under its Safeguards Agreement with respect to the reporting of nuclear material, the subsequent processing and use of that material and the declaration of facilities where the material was stored and processed.”

Most of the report’s findings are to do with the secret transfer of nuclear material from China in 1991, including natural uranium in the form of UF6 (1000kg), UF4 (400g), and UO2 (400g) — an amount that the report describes as “not insignificant in terms of a state’s ability to conduct nuclear research and development activities”.

Under the Safeguards Agreement, Iran should have reported this to the agency in the form of an inventory change report. Iran said it believed that it was not necessary because the amount was negligible.

UF6, or uranium hexafluoride, is a gas that, when enriched in a centrifuge to 99 per cent, can be used to make fissile material for a nuclear bomb. Many in Washington believe that Iran has already used UF6 to test an uranium enrichment facility at a location near Tehran, which would constitute a significant violation of the treaty.

Iran denies such claims, saying it has only one enrichment plant, near Natanz, a site that was revealed publicly for the first time by an Iranian opposition group last year and which is, Tehran states, for peaceful purposes only. When the IAEA chief, Mohamed ElBaradei, visited Natanz in February, he commented on the scale of the facility.

According to the report, there are more than 100 centrifuge casings installed at a pilot plant, with more than 50,000 centrifuges planned for a separate commercial facility. The report now questions “Iran’s declaration that it had been developed without the centrifuges having been tested with UF6 process gas”.

Diplomats have said that US officials, keen to put the heat on the ruling clerics, have been pressuring IAEA members to declare Iran in breach of the NPT.

Iran feels discriminated against by the IAEA regarding access to nuclear technology. Faced with pressure from Europe, Russia and America to sign the additional protocol, diplomats have noted that Tehran is adopting a much more co-operative attitude. IAEA inspectors are in Iran, making their sixth visit since February.

However, Britain and the United States have markedly different approaches to Iran.Jack Straw said yesterday: “Sometimes friends disagree. We can have an honest disagreement about our approach to Iran with the US.” The Foreign Secretary reiterated his view that it is not in Britain’s interest to see regime change in Iran.

Explore World News

• World Agenda

• Iraq News

• US & Americas News

• Europe News

• Middle East News

• Asia News

• Africa News

• Ireland News

Times Recommends

• Rio Tinto four held as China prepares case
• Diplomats must keep heads down and trousers up
• When in Rome should one make like Berlusconi?