Report Seems to Affirm Suspicions of Iran's Nuclear Program

By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2011 - A new report by the United Nation's nuclear watchdog group seems to affirm that Iran's nuclear interests are not just for peaceful purposes, a senior Defense Department official said here today.

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little addressed the International Atomic Energy Agency report during a meeting with Pentagon reporters.

"The IAEA report is something people are taking a look at inside the department," Little said. "The sense is that the report affirms what we believed about Iran and the program.

"The bottom line here is, Iran has been non-transparent with the international community about its intentions," he continued. "With respect to its nuclear program, the United States and many other countries have called on Iran to abide by its international obligations."

The IAEA circulated the report yesterday to its board of governors and the U.N. Security Council, but has not released it, according to the agency's website. The agency found that Iran is developing weapons with its nuclear material, according to press reports.

The IAEA board of governors is scheduled to address the report at its Nov. 17 meeting in Vienna, Austria.

"It's important for them to change their behavior and provide transparency into their nuclear program," Little said of Iran's government in Tehran.