World powers - the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany - are pressuring Iran for "urgent" access to sites involving its controversial nuclear program.
With talks between the 2 sides set for mid-month, the powers are looking for to evaluate the prospective military capability of the sites. A joint statement issued by the six world powers on Thursday, following a gathering in Vienna, said Iran must take "concrete steps" to unravel the dispute.
ReutersA view of the Arak heavy-water project, southwest of Tehran, January 15, 2011Western powers suspect Iran is developing nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian energy program, a charge Tehran denies.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly asked Iran for access to the Parchin military complex near Tehran to research allegations of military-related nuclear research on the site. Iran has refused that request.
Iran and the six world powers resumed talks at the dispute last month in Istanbul after a greater than year-long stalemate. The following round of negotiations is because of occur in Baghdad on May 23.
Iranian officials said they're optimistic about making progress within the talks but is not going to quit what they see as their right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Majdi Akhondzadeh said Wednesday the gravest threat to Middle East stability and security is the undeclared Israeli nuclear weapons program. Israel is widely assumed to be the best nuclear-armed nation inside the region but neither confirms nor denies possessing atomic bombs. Akhondzadeh was speaking in Vienna at a global meeting to study the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Israel sees a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its existence on account of Iranian leaders' repeated demands the destruction of the Jewish state.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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