A senior US official said today that satellite photographs of a suspected nuclear industrial site in Iran demonstrated its intention to develop atomic weapons, an allegation Tehran dismissed as "a new lie."
A prominent international expert said yesterday that new satellite images showed the Parchin military complex southeast of Tehran may be a site for research, testing and production of nuclear weapons.
Iran denies having an atomic bomb programme.
"This clearly shows the intention to develop weapons," a senior US official said on condition of anonymity.
He also accused the UN nuclear watchdog of suppressing information on Parchin in its latest report on Iran, a charge denied by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
But another senior US official, reflecting the differing views within Washington, was more guarded when asked if Parchin provided definitive information about Iran's intentions, saying: "It's something worth keeping under observation.
"There are things there that people need to keep their eyes on."
A top Iranian official said the accusation that Tehran was hiding an atomic site from UN inspectors was a carefully-timed lie intended to influence a resolution on its nuclear programme being discussed this week in Vienna by the IAEA governors.
"This is a new lie, like the last 13 lies based on news reports that have been proved to be lies," Mr Hossein Mousavian, Iran's chief delegate to the IAEA board meeting said.
Mr David Albright, an American former weapons inspector who heads the Institute for Science and International Security think tank, made the allegation about Parchin yesterday, though he disagreed that it clearly showed weapons intent.
He also said the IAEA had asked to inspect Parchin but had been ignored.
Mousavian said: "They have not asked to see the site, but were are ready to cooperate with the IAEA" if they want to go.