Vienna – The UN atomic watchdog chief said Friday, after a crucial visit to Iran, that both sides have a “better understanding” in some areas but that more work is required.
“I believe that both sides have a better understanding on some ways forward, though more work will be needed,” International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano said in a statement.
The head of the U.N. agency tasked with monitoring any Iran nuclear deal is suggesting that a meeting with Iran’s president has done little to advance his probe of alleged work by Tehran on an atomic weapon.
Yukiya Amano said Friday “more work will be needed” to kick-start the investigation. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani continues to deny the allegations, reflecting the stalemate that has stretched to nearly a decade.
Rouhani said after Thursday’s meeting with Amano that the agency now understands that the “pointless allegations” are “baseless.”
The U.S. and its allies says the agency must deliver a ruling on the suspicions based on Iranian cooperation, as part of the overall nuclear deal now being negotiated between Iran and six world powers.