Iran agreed on 14 November 2004 to fully suspend uranium enrichment after talks with Britain, France, and Germany in Paris, ending a standoff over US accusations that Tehran was covertly developing nuclear weapons. The deal headed off a possible referral to the UN Security Council.
The dispute dated to early 2003, when IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei visited Tehran to assess Iran's claim that its program served only civilian purposes. The agency called on Iran in June to accept an additional Non-Proliferation Treaty protocol allowing surprise inspections. Iran signed the protocol in December, though it first sought assurances that inspectors would not expose its military secrets. A confidential UN report had meanwhile found that Tehran held two types of enriched uranium with no civilian application.
Tensions rose through 2004. The IAEA found enriched uranium traces above civilian thresholds in June; Iran acknowledged in July that centrifuge part production had resumed, though it denied restarting enrichment. A September IAEA report called some Iranian claims "plausible" but raised fresh concern over resumed large-scale uranium conversion. The agency gave Tehran a 25 November deadline to fully account for its nuclear activities.
Britain, France, and Germany warned in October that Iran must halt all enrichment or face Security Council referral, and offered incentives to encourage compliance. Iran's parliament voted the same month to back resumed enrichment. Preliminary talks in Paris on 5-6 November broke the deadlock, and Iran confirmed a full suspension on 14 November as negotiations continued.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in November 2004, in its own words.