Atomic watchdog inspects sensitive Iranian plantsite

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors arrived yesterday at an Iranian plant where Tehran plans to resume sensitive nuclear work, a move that would put it on a collision course with the international community.

"The inspectors are in Isfahan to install their equipment and lift seals on the plant," said an Iranian official who declined to be named.

The official did not specify when the Isfahan plant would restart uranium conversion work, an initial stage in the nuclear fuel cycle, although state television said it could take place around midday.

Iran has insisted it will resume the work, which turns uranium ore into a feed gas for enrichment, despite the risk of being hauled before the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

The UN inspectors arrived in Iran late on Sunday, two days before an emergency meeting of the IAEA called by the EU after Tehran announced it would resume the ultra-sensitive work.

The crisis has escalated since Iran's new ultra-conservative President Mahmood Ahmadinejad took office last week.

Iran had agreed in November to suspend uranium conversion and enrichment while negotiations on its nuclear program were under way with the EU, which is seeking guarantees that its activities are purely peaceful. But last week it rejected a package of EU trade, technology and security incentives to abandon its nuclear fuel cycle work, sparking warnings that negotiations with the EU could be over and cause Security Council intervention.

The IAEA, which had placed the metal seals at the Isfahan plant while the suspension was in place, has said that its inspection team will install the necessary monitoring equipment by the middle of the week. Iran has always said it wants to break the seals in concert with the IAEA.

Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of Iran's atomic agency, said Sunday that the necessary equipment would be installed yesterday with the breaking of the seals and the restart of the plant following shortly afterwards.

Iran's conservative-controlled parliament demanded that uranium conversion resume ahead of today's meeting of the IAEA governors, outside the watchdog's supervision if necessary.

The EU incentives, backed by the US, aim to allow the Islamic republic the right to pursue peaceful nuclear energy activities as long as it refrains from fuel-cycle work that could help it make atomic weapons. The US, which is not a party to the EU offer, charges that Iran is using its civilian programas a cover to secretly develop nuclear weapons, something Iran has denied.

Foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said on Sunday that Iran, which insists it has the right to uranium enrichment under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, was unconcerned about possible Security Council action.

"If one day, Iran's case is referred to the UN Security Council, we are not worried. If the Europeans choose this way, it's up to them to see if it is to their benefit or not," he said.

Aghazadeh blamed the EU for bringing matters to a head by submitting an "insulting" package of incentives.