IAEA Spokeswoman Melissa Fleming says Iran has agreed to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s investigation of ambiguities about Tehran’s nuclear program.
Iran has denied the reports and says its nuclear program is a peaceful drive to produce electricity so that the world’s fourth-largest crude exporter can sell more of its oil and gas abroad.
Fleming said the agency hopes Iran will provide the necessary clarifications about the allegations in May, AP reported.
She said on Wednesday that an agreement on the issue had been reached during talks in Tehran earlier this week between Iranian officials and IAEA Deputy Director General Olli Heinonen.
Also on Wednesday, IAEA Chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Iran’s decision to have more cooperation with the IAEA is a milestone.
ElBaradei said he hopes his agency will make progress in its investigation into Tehran’s alleged nuclear weapons programs.
The top IAEA official made the comment in Sarajevo shortly after his agency announced that Iran had agreed to cooperate with IAEA in its investigation.
It, however, expressed optimism that Iran will prepare the ground for access to a proper response to the issue.
On Tuesday, Iran gave an upbeat assessment of two days of talks with the top investigator of the UN atomic energy watchdog.
“The talks with (Olli) Heinonen were positive,“ a senior Iranian nuclear official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters. He did not say what was discussed.
IAEA officials said it would have no comment before Heinonen returned to Vienna on Wednesday.

Dialogue Underlined
Meanwhile, Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani in a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin urged dialogue rather than punitive measures over Iran’s nuclear drive, Reuters reported.
“Sanctions are counterproductive,“ he said. “To us in the region, it is very important that the problem is solved peacefully and not with violence.“
Merlkel also said, “We would welcome it a lot if we could make progress here. Unfortunately, we’re not really moving ahead on this.“
The five permanent UN Security Council members--Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States--plus Germany have been looking to revive nuclear negotiations with Iran .
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he wanted the next round of six-nation talks to be held in London, at the same time as a meeting of the quartet of Middle East peace mediators on May 1-2, which include the UN, the EU, the US and Russia.

Hugo Chavez

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday said cooperation between Iran and Venezuela would help develop Iran’s ties with the entire Latin America.
In a meeting with Iranian Minister of Industries and Mines Ali Akbar Mehrabian in Caracas, Chavez lauded Tehran-Caracas political, economic, trade and industrial cooperation, IRNA reported.
Terming the prospect of the two countries’ cooperation as “very bright“, he said, “Bilateral friendly relations have forged solidarity among the Iranian and Venezuelan nations.“
Praising Iran’s scientific and industrial capabilities, President Chavez called for “the transfer of such valuable experiences to his country“.
As to the US opposition to cooperation between independent and free countries, he said, “Washington is against unity and solidarity between the two great Iranian and Venezuelan nations.“ Chavez pointed out that despite exerting all kinds of pressures on the two countries, the US has failed to obstruct promotion of Tehran-Caracas relations.
For his part, the Iranian minister conveyed the warm greetings of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to his Venezuelan counterpart, the government and nation.
As to the implementation of industrial projects in Venezuela by Iranian companies, Mehrabian said, “Three industrial projects have so far been launched in Venezuela by the Iranian experts.“
The Iranian minister announced that five agreements on the transfer of technology for establishing a pharmaceutical factory, production of tractor parts, machinery to produce dairy products, agricultural machinery and petrochemical industries have been finalized by the two sides.
Mehrabian also voiced the readiness of Iran’s Housing Ministry to build residential units for the Venezuelan people.

Call for US Sincerity on Iraq
A deputy foreign minister said the United States is not willing to involve Iraq’s neighbors in resolving its security problems.
In an interview with Presstv, Alireza Sheikh-Attar also pointed to the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s surprise visit to Baghdad prior to the expanded meeting of foreign ministers of Iraq’s neighboring states in Kuwait on Tuesday, saying the trip was aimed at making the Iraqi officials recognize Iran as the main hurdle to Iraq security.
“Contrary to US expectations, the Iraqi officials’ reaction proved her mission had failed,“ he said.
Asked about the upcoming Iran-US meeting on Iraq, the official referred to the official request by the Americans submitted to Iran via the Swiss Embassy, saying Iran’s main concern is to obtain tangible results from the talks.
The deputy foreign minister noted that Iran expects the US to take its opinions and proposals into consideration instead of expecting Tehran to follow its orders.
“Iran-US meetings on Iraq would be productive if the original problems of the war-torn country were diagnosed, including the root cause of terrorism,“ he said.
Sheikh-Attar went on to say that both Iran and the US can hope to solve problems not only in Iraq, but in other countries as well, provided the Americans show sincerity and change their policies.
The official described Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter, which authorizes foreign forces to stay in Iraq, as ’dangerous’ for the country.
Sheikh-Attar underscored the necessity of US and foreign troops withdrawing from Iraq so that the Iraqi government and armed forces can take over the full responsibility of restoring security to their own country.

Researchers from Shahid Beheshti University have invented a new generation of super-strong tissular glue for the first time in the world by using nanotechnology.
Alireza Zali, president of Shahid Beheshti University’s Medical School, told reporters on Wednesday that the team began its activities last year, Mehr News Agency said.
“The glue has unique characteristics and can be used in surgeries,“ he said.
Commenting on its clinical applications, he said, “Our researchers have managed to use the glue for regeneration of dogs’ trachea and intestine as well as microscopic surgeries on a man’s brachial nerves and a woman’s uterus.“
Zali emphasized that the scientific breakthrough has been registered at the national level.
“Since there has been no report about this type of glue at the international level, we have been trying to register this important scientific accomplishment internationally,“ he said.

India on Wednesday rejected the advice from the United States to talk tough during Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit scheduled for next week and said it was for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and not the US to decide whether Iran was making nuclear fuel for uranium enrichment.
Earlier this week, Washington encouraged India to ask Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities during Ahmadinejad’s visit, DPA reported.
“We would hope that the Indian government...would call on him (Ahmadinejad) to meet the requirements that the Security Council and the international community has placed on him in terms of suspending their uranium enrichment activities and complying with the other requirements regarding their nuclear program,“ said US state department spokesman, Tom Casey, on Monday.
“We are suggesting that the US does not take upon itself the task of determining whether Iran is manufacturing nuclear fuel or not. Let the IAEA decide,“ Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in parliament.
His remarks followed comments by members of India’s left parties describing Casey’s remarks as “audacious and arrogant“ and amounting to an “infringement on India’s sovereign position,“ Times Now television channel reported.
“India and Iran did not need guidance on how to conduct their bilateral relations,“ Navtej Sarna, official spokesman for India’s Foreign Ministry said in a strongly-worded statement issued on Tuesday that began by referring to Casey’s remarks.
“India and Iran are ancient civilizations whose relations span centuries. Both nations are capable of managing all aspects of their relationship with the appropriate degree of care and attention,“ Sarna said.
He added that neither India nor Iran needed any guidance on bilateral relations, “as both countries believe that management and dialogue alone lead to peace.

People see campaign fliers for IranÕs parliamentary elections in Tehran on Wednesday.

Head of Elections Headquarters Alireza Afshar said campaign activities of candidates in the second round of Majlis elections ended on Wednesday.
Speaking to ISNA, Afshar added that 18,000 voting stations are ready in 54 electoral districts while 4,500 ballot boxes have been designated for Tehran.
“Of the 164 nominees, 12 are women and 6 of them are competing for Tehran seats,“ he said.
Afshar, who is also deputy interior minister for political affairs, recalled that the headquarters intends to announce the event’s results within 48 hours.
Underlining the headquarters’ yardstick for campaign activities, he said, “A number of aspirants have installed their posters, pictorial banners and placards in front of the headquarters, which contradicts the rule of law. The point is that campaign materials should not contain pictures.“

Mohammad Reza Rahimi

Vice President for executive affairs, Ali Saeedlou, said a decree has been issued appointing Mohammad Reza Rahimi as the acting interior minister.
Saeedlou, who was talking to reporters in Hamedan on Wednesday, added that the decree was issued on Saturday and Rahimi will soon assume his new responsibility.
Rahimi previously headed the State Audit Organization, ISNA reported.
Earlier, deputy interior minister for political affairs, Alireza Afshar, said, “So far, we have not been notified of anything officially, but the new interior minister will be definitely introduced after the second round of parliamentary elections.“
Afshar went on to stress that the idea of a new interior minister was an issue before the March 14 elections.
“However, the idea has come to the fore now. It must be understood that the matter does not have to do with the elections,“ he said.

An Iranian official said Russia was responsible for the timely delivery of equipment stopped by Azerbaijan while in transit to Iran’s first nuclear power plant.
Russian officials said on Monday Azeri customs and border officials had halted a cargo of Russian heat insulators for Iran’s Bushehr plant, which has faced years of delays.
“The issue of stopping a shipment of equipment for Bushehr power plant on the way to Iran is a matter for the Russian contractor,“ an unnamed Iranian official was quoted as telling ISNA on Wednesday.
The official added that it was up to the contractor to ensure the “transfer of equipment as per the specified timetable“.
The cargo was detained at Astara bordering Azerbaijan and Iran on March 29, the Russian officials said.
Russia has delivered the nuclear fuel to Bushehr, work on which has faced multiple delays since construction first began before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Work stopped completely for years before Russia took over construction.
Tehran has most recently said the plant would become operational this year.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki (l) addresses a press conference in Kuwait City on Tuesday, as his spokesman looks on.

Iran said on Tuesday it backs the Iraqi government’s crackdown on armed groups and denied accusations of assisting militias in the war-battered nation.
“There are armed groups in Iraq. A firm measure must be applied to disarm all these groups, without any exception,“ Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told a press conference in Kuwait on Tuesday.
“Weapons should be only in the hands of the Iraqi Army,“ said Mottaki, who took part in a key conference of foreign ministers of Iraq’s neighbors and western powers.
Iraqi security forces have launched a crackdown against the Shiite militia of anti-US cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr in the southern oil city of Basra and Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki vowed to disarm all illegal groups.
Mottaki denied accusations that Iran was assisting militias in Basra and interfering in Iraq’s internal affairs.
“The ones who should be blamed are the foreign forces in Iraq,“ he said.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran provides the strongest support to the Iraqi government and the political process, and thus it is illogical to accuse us of supporting terrorist groups there.“

Lebanon Crisis
Meanwhile, Mottaki and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner held talks in Kuwait City on Tuesday on the sidelines of the third expanded meeting of foreign ministers of Iraq’s neighboring countries.
The two ministers discussed the latest developments in the region, particularly in Lebanon, and called on other countries to make efforts aimed at bringing the views of Lebanese political groups closer.
Mottaki said the Lebanese crisis can be resolved only when foreign powers refrain from interfering in its affairs.
Kouchner termed as ’constructive’ the political consultation on regional and international developments.

A huge fire engulfed the forests of northern city of Noshahr, Mazandaran province, on Tuesday and remains uncontrolled, said the director general of the province’s natural disasters office.
Behzad Pour-Mohammad also told Fars News Agency that the fire spread to 10 square kilometers of Kajour area in Noshahr.
Pour-Mohammad noted that the province’s firefighters are struggling to end the fire and they are expected to call on neighboring provinces.

Alireza Sheikh-Attar

A deputy foreign minister said the United States is not willing to involve Iraq’s neighbors in resolving its security problems.
In an interview with Presstv, Alireza Sheikh-Attar also pointed to the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s surprise visit to Baghdad prior to the expanded meeting of foreign ministers of Iraq’s neighboring states in Kuwait on Tuesday, saying the trip was aimed at making the Iraqi officials recognize Iran as the main hurdle to Iraq security.
“Contrary to US expectations, the Iraqi officials’ reaction proved her mission had failed,“ he said.
Asked about the upcoming Iran-US meeting on Iraq, the official referred to the official request by the Americans submitted to Iran via the Swiss Embassy, saying Iran’s main concern is to obtain tangible results from the talks.
The deputy foreign minister noted that Iran expects the US to take its opinions and proposals into consideration instead of expecting Tehran to follow its orders.
“Iran-US meetings on Iraq would be productive if the original problems of the war-torn country were diagnosed, including the root cause of terrorism,“ he said.
Sheikh-Attar went on to say that both Iran and the US can hope to solve problems not only in Iraq, but in other countries as well, provided the Americans show sincerity and change their policies.
The official described Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter, which authorizes foreign forces to stay in Iraq, as ’dangerous’ for the country.
Sheikh-Attar underscored the necessity of US and foreign troops withdrawing from Iraq so that the Iraqi government and armed forces can take over the full responsibility of restoring security to their own country.