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Iran's nuclear program not an 'imminent threat': ElBaradei WASHINGTON (AFP) Sep 19, 2004 Iran's nuclear program does not present an "imminent threat," but Tehran must take measures to reassure the international community about its intentions, UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Sunday. "I hope Iran will hear that call from the international community. It is really in the interest of Iran to build confidence," ElBaradei told CNN's "Late Edition." He spoke one day after the International Atomic Energy Agencyadopted a resolution demanding that Iran suspend uranium enrichment and report sensitive nuclear activities. The IAEA resolution adopted in Vienna Saturday also set a November 25 deadline for a full review of Tehran's nuclear activities. "We haven't seen in Iran any material imported or produced that could be used for nuclear weapons," ElBaradei said. "That is a good news." "We haven't also seen any of their small experiment directly related to nuclear weapons program," he added. "I'm not sure we are facing an imminent threat, but we are facing an Iran acquiring, if not already acquired, a capability to produce the material that can be use for nuclear weapons should they decide to do that," the UN official said. "It's really a question of intention," he said. ElBaradei said international worries are based on the speed of Tehran's development of a uranium enrichment program, which is more advanced than its electricity program. "There is really no urgency for Iran to continue with the speed it is going developing enrichment of uranium," he said. Iran's top nuclear official, Hassan Rowhani, said Sunday, "Iran will not accept any obligations concerning the suspension of enrichment." ElBaradei, however, said it was unclear whether Iran's reaction was a rejection of the resolution. "I'm not sure Iran, reading what Iran have stated today, they have rejected it," he said. "They have said it is not a legal obligation, but it is a confidence-building measure." "We need to clarify every issue about the nuclear weapons program, and then engage Iran in a comprehensive political dialogue that discuss security, economy, human rights," he said. "That's the only way we can proceed for a durable solution in my view." All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.
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