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WORLD NEWS Thursday 7 april 2022
Iran says it gave long-sought answers to U.N. atomic watchdog

IBy NASSER KARIMI in its negotiations with the ing information about the
Associated Press International Atomic Ener- sites, with its chief, Rafael
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran on gy Agency. Grossi, routinely lambast-
Wednesday said it supplied Eslami told reporters that ing Iran for its failure to an-
the United Nations’ nuclear Iran had handed over swer where the radioactive
watchdog with documents documents to the U.N. particles came from and
explaining the discovery watchdog about the three where they are now.
of suspect enriched ura- requested sites in Iran, with- Eslami on Wednesday
nium traces, state media out elaborating. He ex- claimed that one of the
reported, the first acknowl- pected agency inspectors particles discovered by
edgement from Tehran to visit Iran “to review the IAEA inspectors does not
that it had answered the answers” and finish a report exist in Iran, without offer-
agency’s long-standing on the subject by late June, ing evidence or details.
demands. he added. He blamed regional arch-
The head of Iran’s civilian The Vienna-based IAEA enemy Israel for “sowing
Atomic Energy Organiza- declined to comment on doubts” about the nature
tion, Mohammad Eslami, Eslami’s remarks. of Iran’s nuclear program.
said Iran sent the request- The IAEA in 2019 first dis- Israel has said it believes
ed explanations on March covered the traces of Iran would pursue a nuclear
20 about several former un- man-made uranium that weapon, despite Western
declared sites in Iran where suggested they were once intelligence assessments in-
there was evidence of past connected to Iran’s nu- dicating otherwise.
nuclear activity. clear program. U.S. intel- Tehran currently enriches
The deadline came as ligence agencies, Western uranium up to 60% purity
part of an agreement an- nations and the IAEA have its highest level ever and
nounced last month to re- said Iran ran an organized a short technical step from
solve the problem of unde- nuclear weapons program weapons-grade levels of
clared uranium particles in until 2003. Iran has long de- 90% and far greater than
Iran by June long a source In this Saturday, March 5, 2022, file photo, head of the Atomic nied ever seeking nuclear the nuclear deal’s 3.67%
of tension between Teh- Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami speaks in a joint weapons. cap. Its stockpile of en-
ran and the U.N. atomic press briefing with International Atomic Energy Organization, As a member of the Nucle- riched uranium continues
watchdog. IAEA, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in Tehran. ar Nonproliferation Treaty, to grow as nuclear talks in
The thorny issue is sepa- Associated Press Iran is obligated to explain Vienna flounder, worrying
rate from now-stalled talks United States from the ac- nuclear deal hangs in the the radioactive traces and nuclear nonproliferation
to revive Tehran’s nuclear cord and imposed crush- balance, long-sought an- to provide assurances that experts that Iran could be
deal with world powers, ing sanctions on Iran. In the swers about Iran’s old but they are not being used as closer to the threshold of
which collapsed four years meantime, Iran has vastly undeclared nuclear sites part of a nuclear weap- having enough material
ago when former President expanded its nuclear work. would improve trust and ons program. The IAEA has for an atomic weapon if it
Donald Trump withdrew the As the fate of a renewed solve a major sticking point staked its credibility on find- chose to pursue one.q

NATO chief says Finland, Sweden welcome to apply to join

By LORNE COOK of NATO membership out- announce a possible mem-
Associated Press number those against. bership bid until their appli-
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO “If they decide to apply, cations are endorsed.
would quickly welcome I expect that all allies will Once members, they
Finland and Sweden into its welcome them,” Stolten- would benefit from NATO’s
ranks with open arms if they berg told reporters in Brus- collective defense clause,
decided to apply, the mili- sels, as NATO foreign minis- which obliges all members
tary alliance’s top civilian ters met to discuss the war to come to the aid of any
official said Wednesday, in Ukraine. “We know that ally that comes under at-
as Russia’s war on Ukraine they can easily join this al- tack.
spurs public support in the liance if they decide to ap- “I am certain that we will
two Nordic countries for ply.” find ways to address con-
membership. Before launching the war cerns they may have re-
The military organization on Ukraine, President Vladi- garding the period be-
might also be ready to pro- mir Putin demanded that tween the potential appli-
vide security guarantees to the 30-nation military or- cation and the final ratifi-
the countries if any poten- ganization stop expand- cation,”
tial membership bid angers ing and pull its troops back Stoltenberg said. He de- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks as he arrives
Russia, NATO Secretary- from Russia’s borders. So clined to speculate about for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters
General Jens Stoltenberg the prospect of neighbor- what those security guar- in Brussels, Wednesday, April 6, 2022.
said. ing Finland, and Sweden, antees might involve. Associated Press
A poll last month by Finnish joining is unlikely to be wel- Finnish Foreign Minister Pe- has changed public opin- ger risks, as we can see in
broadcaster YLE showed comed in Moscow. kka Haavisto said his coun- ion. Ukraine, bigger risks also for
that, for the first time, more To shield them, Stoltenberg try’s lawmakers are due this “In three or four weeks we its own security. We can
than 50% of Finns support said NATO member coun- month to debate a govern- have a majority, first time also see that Russia is ca-
joining the Western mili- tries might be prepared to ment white paper on secu- ever” in favor of joining, pable of gathering more
tary alliance. In neighbor- provide a security guaran- rity, including an option for Haavisto said. than 100,000 men against
ing Sweden, a similar poll tee to cover the two neu- NATO accession. He said He said Finland knows that just one country, even with-
showed that those in favor tral nations from when they Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “Russia is ready to take big- out touching its reserves.”q