VIENNA, 19 December 2003 — Iran yesterday signed an agreement allowing UN weapons experts to make surprise inspections of suspect nuclear sites, in a move hailed as a watershed for Tehran as it seeks to fend off accusations that it is developing nuclear weapons.
Iranian Ambassador Ali Akbar Salehi signed the protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) at a ceremony at the Vienna headquarters of the UN nuclear watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“Iran has turned a new leaf,” said IAEA director Mohamed El Baradei.
“The protocol is an important tool for establishing confidence ... to determine that the Iranian nuclear program is totally peaceful,” he said.
