Russia accuses Iran of nuclear non-cooperation

"We are very alarmed and we cannot accept this, that Iran is refusing to cooperate with the (International Atomic Energy Agency) IAEA," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"For about 20 years, the Iranian leadership carried out its clandestine nuclear program without reporting it to the IAEA," he said. "I do not understand why there was such secrecy."

The remarks came after a report by the IAEA on Thursday confirmed that Iran is enriching uranium to the 20-percent level, required for fuel used in the medical research reactor in Tehran.

According to Reuters, the IAEA also made public a classified analysis, which claimed Iran has explosives expertise relevant to a workable nuclear weapon.

"Some questions remain on the table and Iran has so far not reacted to them but they are rather serious and we need to understand how several documents concerning military nuclear technology found their way to Iran," Lavrov said.

"Clear explanations are needed."

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Friday moved to refute the allegations, declaring that Iran neither believes in atomic bombs nor seeking to develop such weapons.

Iran, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), says its nuclear program is directed at the civilian applications of the technology. The West, however, accuses the country of conducting a covert military nuclear program.

The US-led campaign for fresh sanctions against the country over its nuclear program and the delays over a nuclear fuel-swap deal between Tehran and the West appeared to be gaining more support in Europe with Germany, France and Sweden expressing concerns over the IAEA claim.

Berlin threatened Tehran with new sanctions if it refuses to increase its cooperation with the UN body.

"I don't want to set any deadline, but make it clear that the patience of the international community is not unlimited," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle was quoted by DPA.

France urged world powers to act with "determination" against Tehran following the IAEA report.

"This report confirms precisely the very serious concerns of the international community," French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero was quoted by AFP.

However, Iran's envoy to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, said the report was a verification of the non-diversion of the nuclear material in the country.

Iran says it conducts its program under the supervision of IAEA inspectors and in line with its obligations under the NPT.

Sweden, meanwhile, urged Iran to adhere to the previous UN Security Council resolutions against the country and abandon its enrichment program.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said it was "difficult to know" whether Iran was operating a weapons program.

"They have an enrichment program that is not in accordance with decisions made by the United Nations Security Council," Bildt said.

Under the NPT, Iran says, it is entitled to enrich uranium to any level for civilian purposes, including providing the research reactor with fuel and feeding its under-construction nuclear power plants.

/Press TV/