White House concerned by IAEA Iran report

WASHINGTON, May 27 (UPI) -- Concerns raised by the U.S. nuclear agency about Iran's nuclear program should shed light about Iran's intentions, a spokeswoman for U.S. President Bush said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in its report Iranian officials have not cooperated with an investigation into whether its nuclear ambitions were for peaceful purposes, as the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad maintains.

The IAEA report, issued Monday, said Western intelligence agencies have documents indicating Iranians ventured into explosives, uranium processing and a missile warhead design, ordinarily associated with building nuclear arms.

"If you look at what the IAEA said, they are -- that organization remains concerned," spokeswoman Dana Perino said Tuesday. "And I think that this should further open the eyes of the world to the problems of Iran."

By not cooperating fully and transparently with the IAEA, "we can only conclude (Iran) wants to preserve the ability to weaponize," Perino said, "Iran's continued nuclear fuel cycle development reinforces this conclusion."

The report demonstrated Iran did not meet its international obligations and "continues to violate the commitments that it committed to," she said, despite Iran's saying it didn't violate a non-proliferation treaty or its IAEA safeguards obligations.