Legal experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in Tehran yesterday to hold talks on the possibility of Iran signing the Additional Protocol to its IAEA safeguards agreement that would allow more intrusive monitoring of Iranian nuclear activities (see GSN, Aug. 4).

The three-member team met with Iranian government lawyers to discuss the fine points of the agreement, according to Saber Zaeimian, a spokesman for the Iranian nuclear agency.

The United States has accused Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear energy program.  Washington is “working with the IAEA to make sure that they do not continue on this course, which is unacceptable,” according to White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

Islamic conservatives in Iran, however, have been urging government leaders to reject the Additional Protocol (Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Aug. 4).

Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi, the top Iranian judiciary official, supported the anti-protocol push.

“The Iranian leadership, with the support of the people, will not give in to pressure, and the representatives of the people and the students will resist America’s aim to impose its will by force,” he said (Beirut Daily Star, Aug. 5).

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