Sunday, April 13, 2008

Iran Unexpectedly Cancels IAEA Talks

Iran today cancelled a scheduled meeting between the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Qholam Reza Aghazadeh and Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). No explanations were offered by the Iranian officials.

Few hours earlier in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki had said that Iran was to present a new proposal on its nuclear program to the five permanent members of UN Security Council plus Germany (5+1 Group). He had strongly hinted that the proposal would contain compromises by Iran to break the current nuclear standoff with the West.

The unexpected cancellation of talks with IAEA, hours after Mottaki’s seemingly positive remarks, points to renewed internal divisions inside the Islamic Republic on handling the country’s nuclear program.

No comments: