Examining Iran's Nuke Program

In an ongoing stalemate concerning Iran's nuclear program, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council emerged from an informal gathering Thursday. The meeting shows there is movement towards an agreement. But what will the agreement lead to?

In an Exclusive Interview with CBS News, Dr. Hans Blix, the former UN Chief Weapons Inspector, spoke about the Iranian nuclear crisis.

Dr. Blix does not believe the International Atomic Energy Agency has the hard evidence Iran intends to build a nuclear bomb.

"There is some circumstantial evidence that has been invoked," he said. "One is that they kept it secret. That they were working on enrichment for many years and they did not report it to the IAEA as they should have."

The IAEA has sent a report to the UN Security Council claiming Iran has violated the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

"I don't think that one has maintained that Iran has breached the non-proliferation treaty," argued Dr. Blix. "They have not complied with our safeguard obligations which is a different matter."

Dr. Blix believes the answer might be in what has taken place during the negotiations with North Korea. One element in that agreement was neither South or North Korea will have either enrichment of uranium or reprocessing.

"I think it might be good to look at the similar thing for the Middle East," he explained. "Iran would abstain from enrichment, but also Israel would refrain from reprocessing plutonium. And Syria would commit itself, and Saudi Arabia and Egypt. That I think would make it a little more even for the Iranians."
by Jenn Eaker