Iran says its nuclear program is aimed at producing electricity, not making nuclear bombs.

IRAN SAYS PARCHIN ALLEGATION “BASELESS”

At the week-long IAEA board meeting, the United States and its Western allies want to isolate Iran further by adopting a resolution rebuking it for stonewalling the IAEA’s investigation into its nuclear activities.

But it is unclear whether China and Russia - who are also part of a group of six world powers trying to find a diplomatic solution to the long-running dispute - would agree to such a move, diplomats say. Beijing and Moscow have criticized unilateral Western steps to punish Iran.

Russia last week starkly warned Israel and the United States against attacking Iran and said it saw no evidence that Tehran’s nuclear program was aimed at developing weapons.

In contrast, the IAEA has voiced mounting concern that Iran may be conducting research and development relevant to the assembly of a nuclear warhead.

“Iran is not providing the necessary cooperation to enable us to ... conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities,” Amano told the IAEA board.

He said “activities” that had taken place at the Parchin facility - a reference to suspected clean-up work there - would have an “adverse impact” on the IAEA’s investigation, if and when it was allowed to go there. Iran has so far refused access.

Western diplomats citing satellite images as evidence that Iran has for several months carried out apparent “sanitization” work at Parchin to remove any evidence of illicit activity.