Iran Signs Accord on Nuclear Inspections

VIENNA — Iran signed an agreement Thursday that gives United Nations experts full access to its nuclear facilities, yielding to international pressure to prove that it has not tried to build atomic weapons.

Washington has accused Tehran of trying to develop nuclear weapons in secret, but Iran insists that its program is peaceful and geared only toward producing electricity.

The agreement, tacked on to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, requires Iran to submit to intrusive, surprise U.N. inspections of its facilities. Tehran called the accord historic.

Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, said inspections so far had not proved or disproved Iran’s claims that it had not tried to develop nuclear weapons.