Iranian nuclear R&D centre 'visited by UN inspectors'
Source: The Guardian
UN inspectors have gained rare access to an Iranian nuclear facility, giving them a "better understanding" of Tehran's disputed programme, it has been reported.
They observed a plant where centrifuges for enriching uranium were developed as part of a transparency deal but acknowledged that Iran remains resistant to an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) investigation.
According to a confidential IAEA report obtained by Reuters, inspectors visited a research and development centre for centrifuges on 30 August. It gave neither details nor the location of the site. But such access could be crucial to helping the agency determine how far along Iran might be in developing more modern models of the machines.
Iran's efforts to replace the breakdown-prone, 1970s vintage IR-1 centrifuge it is now operating at its Natanz and Fordow enrichment plants are closely watched by the west since success could lead to more efficient equipment enabling the country to amass material that could be used for atomic bombs more quickly.
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/06/iranian-nuclear-centre-iaea-inspectors
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