No Sign of Breakthrough in Talks Between Amano and Iranian Officials

IAEA Director Yukiya Amano ended his one-day visit to Tehran without any sign of a breakthrough deal with the Iranians. Asked by reporters in Tehran about the expected framework agreement defining IAEA’s access to sites, nuclear officials and scientists and documents to see if Iran was developing the capability to make nuclear weapons, Amano could only say: "I will not go into details but the agency has some viewpoints and Iran has its own specific viewpoints." [Mehr News Agency, 21 May].

The answer was not convincing that a breakthrough in the talks had been achieved in Tehran. Now all the eyes will be on Wednesday’s talks between Iran and the six major powers in Baghdad.