IAEA 'making good progress' on Iran's nuclear programme

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency has said that its verification work in Iran was "making good progress", a week after Tehran turned over a dossier on its nuclear activities.

Mohamed ElBaradei, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that he would report on the agency’s findings on Iran to the IAEA’s Board of Governors later in November.

That Board had given Iran until last Friday to comply with requests for information on its nuclear programmes. On October 23, Iran sent Mr ElBaradei a dossier on its nuclear activities.

Mr ElBaradei added that the Agency’s inspectors "are currently in Iran visiting sites, interviewing key personnel and taking samples with a view to verifying the accuracy and completeness of this declaration".

He said he also had been informed that by this week Iran would formally comply with an additional protocol on nuclear issues.

"When this happens," he said, "it will be a very positive step forward, particularly in terms of enabling us to effectively regulate all future nuclear activities in Iran."

Foreign Office mediates release of two Iranian journalists

Elsewhere, the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq has today ordered the release of two Iranian journalists, Soheil Karimi and Saeed Abutaleb.

The two men were arrested by US forces in July for filming at a military checkpoint. US forces have now ended their investigation and have decided not to press charges.

Since the US and Iran lack diplomatic relations, the UK has been asked to liaise with the Iranian authorities to arrange for the two men to be returned to Iran and reunited with their families.

The UK has been in contact with the US and Iranian governments throughout their detention, and has intervened at a senior level to press for the investigation to be brought to an early conclusion.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "It was unfortunate that these two journalists were caught up in the stringent security regime currently in place in Iraq. After several fatal attacks on Coalition forces at checkpoints, the Coalition authorities could not afford to take any chances.

"But we are pleased that the issue has now been resolved and the men are now on their way home."

(gmcg)

(gmcg)