TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The deputy chief of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency met with Iranian officials Monday to discuss persistent allegations that the Islamic republic is secretly working to develop nuclear weapons.
Olli Heinonen of the International Atomic Energy Agency planned to focus during two days of meetings on charges that Iran is testing powerful explosives and seeking to design a missile re-entry vehicle, two features that could have use for nuclear weapons.
Iran dismisses as "fabricated" the allegations raised by U.S. intelligence agencies and insists its nuclear program is geared solely toward the production of electricity. Washington and some of its allies contend Tehran is trying to gain a nuclear arms capability.
During a closed IAEA board meeting in February, Heinonen offered detailed information provided by Western intelligence agencies suggesting that Iran could have been studying how to use enriched uranium to build an atomic bomb.
Hossein Shariatmadari, a prominent Iranian hard-liner, published a commentary in his conservative newspaper, Kayhan, denouncing Iran's government for hosting Heinonen, saying the trip was part of a "joint U.S.-Israeli trick" aimed at hurting Iran.
"It is deploring and surprising that our nuclear officials have agreed to Heinonen's trip to Iran," wrote Shariatmadari, who is an aide to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The state news agency IRNA said Heinonen held the first day of his talks with Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's permanent representative to the U.N. agency.
IRNA had said earlier that Javad Vaeedi, a top nuclear negotiator, would head the Iranian team talking with Heinonen. It didn't explain why Iran lowered the level of its representation.
The news agency said Heinonen's delegation would not visit any Iranian nuclear facility and planned to return to the IAEA's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, after a second day of talks Tuesday.

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