IAEA chief: Iran failing to clarify nuclear intentions

The head of International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, on Tuesday expressed frustration with his failure to persuade Iran to speak openly about its nuclear intentions.

There has been no progress in the past weeks in getting Iran to clarify possible activities related to developing nuclear weapons, said Amano, who recently replaced Mohammed El-Baradei as chief of the UN's nuclear watchdog.

"So far I haven't got the response that I hoped," Amano told the DPA news agency.

World powers suspect Iran of using civilian nuclear development to mask a weapons program, a claim Tehran denies.

The United States is currently leading a diplomatic push for a fourth round UN of sanctions against Iran over its refusal to cooperate with UN inspectors.

Early in January U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed to push for harsh diplomatic measures against Iran.

"Our aim is not incremental sanctions, but sanctions that will bite," Clinton told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a lobby group.

"Let me be very clear: The United States is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons," she said.

But Amano warned that new sanctions would mean international nuclear inspectors have a more difficult job in the short term.

"As Iran quite often declares, they don't want to act under pressure," the 62-year-old Japanes diplomat said.

Nuclear inspectors are also seeking information about 10 new enrichment plants that Iran has announced it would build.

Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said in February that work on the firts two new sites would begin in the coming year.

"We are now following this issue carefully. But we don't have specific pieces of information on the construction of these 10 or two facilities," Amano said.