UN Nuclear Inspector Seeking Results in Talks with Iran

 　　The chief U.N. nuclear inspector¹ begins another to visit to Iran on Monday, saying his "highest priority" is getting answers to allegations of military dimensions to the Iranian nuclear program.

　　Speaking before he left Vienna on Sunday, International Atomic Energy Agency deputy director Herman Nackaerts said he wants to see "concrete results" from his two days of talks with Iranian officials. But, he also cautioned that progress "may take a while." Nackaerts previously² led a team of U.N. inspectors³ to Iran in late January, but the visit was inconclusive.

　　U.N. inspectors want Iran to explain the findings of a recent IAEA report that cited evidence of Iranian work on the design of a nuclear weapon.

　　Israel and Western nations accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian⁴ energy program. Tehran says the IAEA report was based on fabrications and insists the Iranian nuclear program is peaceful.

　　Israel sees a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its existence and says military action may be needed to prevent that from happening. The top U.S. military officer, General Martin Dempsey, said Sunday an Israeli strike would be "premature⁵" because it is "unclear" that Iran would assemble a nuclear bomb.

　　In an interview with U.S. television network CNN, General Dempsey also said Israeli military action "at this time would be destabilizing and would not achieve (Israel's) long-term objectives." He said Washington believes Iranian leaders are "rational" and that the most prudent⁶ path for dealing⁷ with them is through international sanctions and diplomacy⁸.

　　Israeli media said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed regional security threats with visiting U.S. National Security Advisor⁹ Tom Donilon on Sunday. No other details of the meeting were released.

　　Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Sunday Tehran wants to resume talks with six world powers to resolve the nuclear dispute in a way that both sides can "win." The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany have not held any nuclear talks with Iran since an inconclusive meeting in January 2011.

　　The United States and its allies have said they want Iran to prove it is serious about discussing their concerns. They also have been tightening¹⁰ sanctions on Iran to pressure it into stopping uranium enrichment, a process that has civilian and military uses.

　　Iran said Sunday it stopped limited exports of crude oil to France and Britain, in an apparent retaliation¹¹ for an impending¹² EU boycott¹³ of Iranian oil. The Iranian oil ministry¹⁴ said Iran also has taken steps to find other customers for the crude.

　　The 27-nation EU plans to stop importing Iranian oil from July 1. It accounts for about 18 percent of Iran's crude exports, the vast majority of which go to Asian countries, mainly China and India.

　　The biggest EU consumers of Iran's crude have been Italy, Spain and Greece.

1 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

2 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

3 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

5 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

6 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

7 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

8 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

9 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

10 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

11 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 impending   

a.imminent, about to come or happen

参考例句：

• Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place. 即将发生饥荒之时，严重的战乱爆发了。
• The king convoke parliament to cope with the impending danger. 国王召开国会以应付迫近眉睫的危险。

13 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

14 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。