Iran Hands Over Nuclear Papers - Four Years Late

Iran has handed over a nuclear weapons blueprint to the International Atomic Energy Agency four years after it was requested, diplomats in Vienna said yesterday.

The document shows how to mold uranium into hemispheres, the only known purpose of which is in the engineering of nuclear warheads. Iranian officials claim it was sent unsolicited by the Pakistani nuclear trafficker AQ Khan, along with designs for centrifuges, and did not reflect any Iranian intention to build a bomb. Iran insists its nuclear program is purely for civil energy purposes.

News of the blueprint's delivery came on the eve of a report by the IAEA's director, Mohamed ElBaradei, on Iranian cooperation with an investigation into its past nuclear activities. The report will color the debate within the UN security council on whether to impose new sanctions on Iran. Further talks are expected on Monday. British and US officials say the blueprint is irrelevant to the issue of sanctions, which are a response to Iran's refusal to suspend the enrichment of uranium.

"They may have handed over a few documents. That's what they usually do when they're on a deadline," a British official said. "But unless there's clear indication that they are willing to act on enrichment, then we're going to be pushing forward on tougher measures in the EU and UN."

Last night it was reported that the US, Britain and France were asking dozens of new questions about Iran's enrichment program. The questions are contained in confidential documents seen by the Associated Press and include requests for details of contacts between Iran and the nuclear black market as well as "full Iranian cooperation with all IAEA requests for information and documentation".