An international fact-finding mission into Iran’s nuclear weapons program could be extended beyond three days if required, the country’s foreign minister has said.
Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi was said to be “optimistic” over the visit by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which began on Sunday.
Salehi said that “the three-day stay of the inspectors could be extended upon their request,” the IRNA news agency reported on Monday.
The mission is geared toward discovering whether Iran’s nuclear program has military dimensions. Iran claims to only be using nuclear energy for civilian purposes.
Salehi said that inspectors would have permission to visit any site they might wish.
On Sunday night, the U.S. defense minister Leon Panneta said that analysts believe that Iran could have the ability to develop a nuclear weapon within a year.
“If they proceed and we get intelligence that they are proceeding with developing a nuclear weapon, then we will take whatever steps are necessary to stop them,” he told CBS’s 60-minutes.
Last week, the European Union agreed to cut oil imports from Iran only by July 1, in order to give some countries time to find alternative sources of oil.
However, the Iranian Parliament is due to debate whether oil exports could be cut almost immediately, in order to retaliate against the sanctions.
On Monday, Rostam Qasemi, Iran’s oil minister, told IRNA: “Soon we will cut exporting oil to some countries.”
He did not say to which countries and when the cuts would take place.
