Report: Iran could open military site to visits

[August 27, 2012]  TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran could allow representatives from nonaligned nations to visit a military site that the U.N. nuclear watchdog suspects has housed nuclear experiments.

Access for diplomats and others to the Parchin base would be an attempt by Iran to show openness during this week's Non-Aligned Movement gathering, but it would certainly not satisfy U.N. demands.

U.N. nuclear inspectors have been pressing for wider access to Parchin, southeast of Tehran, to probe suspicions that Iran carried out explosive tests with possible nuclear trigger applications.

Monday's report by the state-owned yjc.ir news website quotes Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Mahdi Akhounzadeh as saying Iran may consider opening to the site to delegates from the 120-nation group. The gathering ends Friday.

The West suspects Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program. Tehran denies the charge.

[Associated Press]

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