NEW YORK, May 2 (UPI) -- The chief of the U.N. nuclear watchdog organization urged Iran and the European Union Monday to continue talks concerning Tehran's nuclear program.
Mohamed ElBaradei, chief of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, told a U.N. conference on nuclear non-proliferation that such talks were necessary to prevent Iran from making nuclear weapons.
Said ElBaradei: "I hope that both parties will continue to talk. I would hope that the Iranians will not take any unilateral decisions to initiate any activities that now are currently suspended."
The United States believes Iran is producing nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charge, but last year signed an agreement with the EU to open its nuclear program for inspection in return for trade ties with the EU nations. After the agreement, Iran also suspended activities at some of its nuclear projects,
The Iranian crisis poses a serious threat to the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which forbids member nations from making nuclear weapons. Under the treaty. only five recognized nuclear powers -- the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and China -- can keep nuclear weapons.
India, Pakistan and Israel are also believed to possess nuclear weapons, but they have not signed the NPT. However, Iran has signed the pact.
