US, Other Powers Want End of UN Iran Nuke Probe

"Once a vociferous critic of Iran's alleged work on nuclear arms, the U.S. is now joining five other world powers in urging the U.N. atomic agency to close the books on a protracted probe of the claims, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.

The call is contained in a confidential draft resolution prepared for next week's meeting of the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency...

The push by the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany to end the investigation is being launched despite a report last week from IAEA chief Yukiya Amano concluding that Tehran did work related to nuclear arms up to 2009. And it comes after a near decade of heated U.S. accusations of such Iranian activities - charges Tehran denies...

Although the tone of request to end the probe is dispassionate, Western diplomats familiar with the drafting of the document said some statements at the board meeting will be critical of what the U.S. and its allies continue to say were Iranian attempts to develop nuclear arms.

At the same time, they said, the language in the resolution had to be neutral and acceptable to the Iranians in order to be able to advance early next year to implementing the July 14 deal that promises sanctions relief for Iran in exchange for cuts in its nuclear programs..."