TEHRAN — Influential factions within the Iranian regime remain intent on acquiring at least the capability to develop atomic weapons, raising concerns that Tehran might continue to conceal parts of its nuclear program, diplomats and analysts here say.
The powerful Revolutionary Guards and military strategists are convinced that only a nuclear Iran can assume its place as a major regional power and adequately deter a possible attack from the United States or Israel, said the policy advisor to a senior conservative cleric, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Officials in the capital said the country's leaders were shocked by the tough deadline for disclosing atomic activities that the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency imposed in September and that they agreed to cooperate only because of the international community's united stance.
The questions about whether Iran intends to fully comply contrast with public statements by Iranian leaders that they have no intention of developing nuclear weapons and with their promises to cooperate fully with inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The issue of Iran's credibility is being considered at a meeting in Vienna of the 35 nations on the IAEA board of governors. The board is debating whether tough new measures are warranted against Tehran over past concealment of nuclear activities.
The United States is pushing to refer the matter to the United Nations Security Council for possible sanctions, but a European-led faction on the IAEA board wants to give Iran more time to come clean.
The board met in Vienna on Thursday and will continue its discussions today. The director-general of the IAEA, Mohamed ElBaradei, in comments to the opening session of the board, cited Iran's recent pledges to cooperate.
"The situation has changed significantly since the middle of last month, when a new chapter of implementation of safeguards in Iran seems to have begun, a chapter that is characterized by active cooperation and openness on the part of Iran," he said. He characterized it as a "good start," but added that the agency needed to stay the course on Iran to ensure compliance.
In a report leaked this month, the IAEA said that Iran had concealed elements of a potential nuclear weapons program for as long as 18 years. But the agency said that Iran had demonstrated a new openness and that its inspectors had found no proof of efforts to develop nuclear weapons.
