China Turns Over Iran Nuke Intel To IAEA

The Iranians must have ticked-off the Chinese for them to turn over intelligence about Iran's nuclear weapons program. Of course, I won't be holding my breath for something to come out it.

China gave the International Atomic Energy Agency intelligence about Iran's nuclear program despite Beijing's opposition to harsh U.N. Security Council sanctions on Tehran, according to diplomats familiar with the matter.

China and Russia have acted as a brake within the Security Council, consistently watering down a U.S.-led push to impose severe penalties on Tehran. A Chinese decision to provide information for a probe into Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program could be a sign of growing international unease about the Islamic republic's denials that it never tried to make nuclear weapons.

The new development was revealed to The Associated Press by two senior diplomats who closely follow the IAEA probe of Iran's nuclear program.

The IAEA declined comment and no one answered the phone Wednesday at either the Chinese or Iranian missions to the IAEA.

The diplomats — who requested anonymity because their information was confidential — said China was the most surprising of a substantial list of nations that have recently forwarded information that could be relevant in attempts to probe past or present nuclear weapons research by Iran.