Tehran is ready to answer the International Atomic Energy Agency's new questions about its nuclear program if the agency declares the alleged weapons studies "closed", Iran's envoy to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh said, Tehran Times reported.
Soltaniyeh announced that Atomic Energy Organization of Iran chief Fereydoun Abbasi has replied to IAEA director Yukiya Amano's recent letter, rejecting claims that Iran plans to develop nuclear weapons and urging the IAEA to put aside the alleged weapons studies.
"In (Abbasi's) letter, the IAEA director general has been asked to declare closed the alleged studies, and if this matter is declared closed and Iran's (nuclear) dossier is returned to normal status, Iran is ready to cooperate on any (new) question and accusation," Soltanieh explained.
He added that Iran in a 118-page document has responded to the issue of alleged studies, proving that the claims are unfounded.
Iran's ambassador to the IAEA also said that the Islamic Republic has cleared up all the ambiguities over its nuclear activities under the modality plan signed by Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog in 2007, and at the time it was agreed that no new issue is raised, but the IAEA has reneged on the agreement.
"Based on the modality (plan), all the matters between Iran and the IAEA are closed, so the agency should put away the issues relating to the modality (plan)," he said.
"If the agency declares closed the issues relating to modality (plan), Iran is ready to answer (new questions), but (cooperation) is impossible if the agency doesn't meet its commitments," he added.
Iran has repeatedly stated that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes of providing energy, but many other countries contend that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons and last June the Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions against it, citing the proliferation risks of its nuclear programme and its continued failure to cooperate with the IAEA.
The issue has been of international concern since the discovery in 2003 that Iran had concealed its nuclear activities for 18 years in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).