Future Iranian reactors, nuclear sites part of IAEA deal

Iran has agreed to provide information to U.N. inspectors about planned nuclear facilities including research reactors under a cooperation agreement signed by the two sides on Monday, the U.N. nuclear agency said.

The agreement, seen by Reuters, listed a series of steps to be taken by Iran to ensure greater transparency in its disputed nuclear programme, also including "managed access" to a uranium mine and a heavy water plant.

The measures will be implemented within three months, the agency said.

Earlier, Iran's state TV said a deal for expanded monitoring has been reached in talks with the U.N. nuclear chief in a deal that could boost wider negotiations over Tehran's atomic program.

The TV said the deal was struck on Monday in talks with U.N. nuclear chief Yukiya Amano.

It's a so-called "roadmap" that will give U.N. inspectors a broader reach, including access to a heavy water reactor under construction and a key uranium mine.

The talks in Tehran came after envoys from Iran and world powers failed over the weekend in Geneva to reach an accord on efforts to ease Western concerns that Iran could one day develop nuclear weapons, an assertion Iran denies.

Those negotiations, between Iran and the world powers, are scheduled to resume next week.

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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry denied reports that major powers were divided at talks with Iran aimed at resolving a dispute about its nuclear programme, adding it was the Islamic Republic that could not agree to a proposed deal.

Speaking at a news conference with United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan in Abu Dhabi, Kerry said the major powers were "unified on Saturday when we presented a proposal to the Iranians, and the French signed off on it, we signed off on it, and everybody agreed it was a fair proposal. There was unity, but Iran couldn't take it at that particular moment, they weren't able to accept that particular thing."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also said he hoped a deal ending a dispute on Iran's nuclear programme would be completed within months, adding that he was confident such an agreement would protect U.S. ally Israel.

Kerry noted that Washington was "not (in) a race" to complete talks with Iran on its nuclear programme.
   
He also praised the Syrian opposition's decision to participate in a proposed peace conference as a "big step forward".

For his part, the head of the United Nations atomic energy agency, Yukiya Amano, said he hoped to finalize a technical agreement with Iran during a trip to Tehran on Monday, Iranian media reported.          
      
He spoke before meeting the head of Iran's atomic energy organisation, Ali Akbar Salehi.   
         
In turn, France's foreign minister Laurent Fabius said he was hopeful a deal could be reached with Iran over its nuclear program, although Tehran still had to make an effort on a few points.              
Some diplomats accused France of grandstanding during talks in Geneva at the weekend, something Fabius denied, saying Paris was not isolated, but had an independent foreign policy.                


REUTERS/AP