EU says concerned UN can't verify Iran's nuclear program is peaceful

The European Union "remains gravely concerned by Iran’s protracted failure to sufficiently cooperate with the Agency in resolving long outstanding safeguards issues and that the Agency remains unable to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful," it said on Wednesday.

"It is deeply regrettable that, despite five Board resolutions and many reasonable opportunities provided over the past six years, Iran has not fulfilled its legal obligation to clarify the outstanding issues regarding undeclared nuclear material or facilities," the EU's mission told the UN nuclear watchdog's Board of Governors.

"Iran repeatedly either failed to respond to or provide technically credible answers to the Agency’s questions," it added, "while pursuing activities consistent with concealment efforts, including extensive sanitization and the provision of inaccurate explanations."

"This has impeded the Agency’s verification activities and obstructed the effective implementation of safeguards."