United Nations nuclear agency inspectors have found in Iran "undeclared components compatible with advanced uranium-enrichment centrifuge designs", according to diplomats Thursday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has been preparing a report on Iran's nuclear program ahead of an IAEA board of governors' meeting due on March 8 to review the situation in Iran.
IAEA officials, for their part, refused to comment but a diplomat close to the nuclear agency said IAEA inspectors had found "design components of a G-2 centrifuge," an advanced model of what is the crucial machine used in configurations of hundreds of centrifuges to enrich uranium for either civilian power use or for making an atomic bomb.
Meanwhile, two of Iran's main reformist newspapers were "shut down" by the Islamic republic's judiciary, as conservatives were poised to cement their grip on power by winning controversial parliamentary elections.
Word of the closures of the papers, which had published a scathing open letter from reformist parliament members to the country's supreme leader, came as the country's intelligence minister sought to put an end to allegations that the polls, scheduled to take place Friday, were being rigged.
Most reformists have been already been barred from even standing by the Guardians Council, but some disgruntled activists have also claimed that hardliners were taking no chances and had printed "fake voter cards".
"The distribution of such a great number of fake identity cards, undetected by supervisory and executive organisations, would be out of the question," IRNA quoted Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi as saying.
He added that such claims were part of a "psychological war" against the Islamic regime, and warned that those responsible for circulating them could be prosecuted.
The office of Tehran's hardline public prosecutor closed and sealed off the premises in Tehran of pro-reform dailies Shargh and Yas-e No.
They were the only two newspapers who published a letter from incumbent reformist deputies that questioned Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's role in the mass disqualifications.
Around 70 reformists who had resigned from parliament in protest warned in the open letter of a "widening gap between the regime and the people" and asked if Khamenei had allowed the disqualifications of 2,300 candidates, all but killing off their election chances.
An official from the prosecutions office, Seyed Hossien Hossinian, confirmed the closure order to ISNA news agency, while IRNA suggested the papers had been shut "until further notice".
In the meantime, campaigning for seats in the 290-seat Majlis officially ended across Iran overnight Wednesday. Out of the 5,625 candidates who were given the "green light" to stand, 888 have pulled out. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
