In this Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015 file photo, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi, center, ends his speech in an open session of parliament while discussing a bill on Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, in Tehran, Iran. This week, the bitter debate that for years pitted Iranian denials against US claims of a cover-up is set for an anticlimactic ending, with a final report from the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency expected to stop short of proving or disproving the claims. AP FILE PHOTO
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s top nuclear official has welcomed a report by the UN nuclear watchdog, saying it will end ‘fabricated’ claims against Tehran.
The official IRNA news agency on Thursday quoted Iranian Vice-President Ali Akbar Salehi, as saying the report shows that Iran’s nuclear activities have been peaceful.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said that activities on the development of a nuclear explosive device were conducted in Iran prior to the end of 2003, but that there is no indication of any activities after 2009.
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No previous IAEA report has so clearly linked Iran’s past nuclear work to weapons development. The agency’s 35-nation board will decide on the case in mid-December.
The West has long suspected Iran of seeking to make nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.