IAEA Chief: No Proof of Iran Nukes

WASHINGTON -- - The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says he has no ``specific proof'' that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. ``The jury is still out,'' Mohammed ElBaradei told members of Congress.

Choosing his words carefully -- he said a careless statement could make the difference between war and peace -- the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency said U.N. inspectors were seeking to determine whether Iran has a nuclear weapons program.

``I have to be certain,'' ElBaradei told lawmakers recently. He also called at the White House and suggested to President Bush that the United States talk directly to Iran about its nuclear program.

``Clearly, it is an idea that they will have to mull over,'' ElBaradei said after the 45-minute meeting with Bush followed by a session with Condoleezza Rice, the president's national security assistant. ``In my view, they will mull it over and see if it is useful.''

The United States has no diplomatic relations with Iran and generally avoids contact with Tehran. However, they have worked together on terrorism in Afghanistan and other issues of mutual interest.

On another front, ElBaradei said he had proposed that the United States promote a worldwide moratorium on production and proliferation of weapons-grade uranium.

Thirteen countries have enriched uranium, he said, and then asked rhetorically, ``Do we need more?''

U.S. intelligence agencies are convinced Iran is edging closer to producing nuclear weapons.

But ElBaradei told members of Congress that weapons inspectors ``have not seen this ... it might be.''

``We are working to see whether this is a weapons program,'' he said.

At the White House, ElBaradei told reporters that Iran was cooperating fully with U.N. inspectors after barring inspections for two weeks. They are to resume March 27.

He said he hoped to have a more definitive assessment of Iran's nuclear activities by June, when he is due to give his next report to the IAEA Board of Governors.

``The ball is in Iran's court,'' he said.

Iran suspended inspections last weekend after the U.N. agency adopted a resolution deploring recent discoveries of uranium enrichment equipment and other suspicious activities that Iran had failed to reveal. Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Hasan Rowhani, had described the IAEA resolution as ``unfair and deceitful.''

ElBaradei called the two-week suspension ``regrettable'' and ``a bad precedent,'' but he said the inspection that was postponed was not time-sensitive and probably did not give Iran an opportunity to hide anything. Now, he said, Iran is ``back on track.''

``I think today Iran is cooperating fully,'' he said. ``I expect them to be fully cooperative, to be fully transparent, to provide all information in the most detailed manner. ... We need 100 percent cooperation.''

Iran says its nuclear activities are designed to generate electricity.