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Washington New revelations from an Iranian opposition group about what it claims is a secret nuclear facility could raise fresh questions about Irans credibility at a make-or-break moment in the international nuclear negotiations.

The exiled National Council of Resistance of Iran, which has uncovered a number of clandestine sites in Iran over a dozen years of nuclear sleuthing, on Tuesday claimed to expose a secret facility in a Tehran suburb where it says nuclear research and uranium enrichment are taking place in violation of international agreements.

The revelation comes as both the United States and Iran signal that they are making progress in talks aimed at reaching an international accord on Irans nuclear program by a March 31 deadline. And the exposure of another purported secret Iranian nuclear site joins other external factors for example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus speech to Congress next week on the dangers of the deal that are jostling the impending diplomatic dash in pursuit of an accord.

While some nuclear proliferation experts say they are not surprised by the rising outside challenges at a decisive moment in the talks, they also say those should not be viewed as enough to derail the diplomatic effort. If anything, they say, new factors like the claims of secret facilities only underscore the need to reach a deal that will limit Iran and allow for inspections of all the countrys facilities.

Many people are looking for ways to blow up these negotiations; some are legitimate concerns and some are less valid, says Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association in Washington. This report should be explored, but it should not be a reason to stop short of a deal that would address this problem [of undeclared sites] for a long time to come.

The report also comes a week after the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Iran continued to stonewall on providing information on past nuclear weaponization activity.

What we know is that [uranium] enrichment has been going on here, as has research and development, and its continuing as we speak, says Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the National Council (NCRI) Washington office. Its the task of the United States and the [international community] to force an inspection of the site.

Mr. Jafarzadeh, who was behind the bombshell revelation of Irans Natanz uranium enrichment site and the Arak plutonium facility in 2002, says the group shared its information with US officials in the White House and at the State Department before holding a press conference Tuesday.

The dossier of information contains satellite photos of a 62-acre site in a northern Tehran suburb with extensive military facilities and residential buildings. Photos of heavily reinforced doorways in a series of underground work sites and other information about the site were provided by informants inside the regime and, in particular, in key ministries responsible for Irans nuclear program, the group says.

However, the information does not offer proof of nuclear activities at the site. The informants were unable to provide information about the level of the uranium enrichment they assert is taking place at the site, Jafarzadeh says, nor could they affirm the extent of the enrichment or the number of on-site centrifuges, the fast-spinning machines that can be used to deliver weapons-grade uranium.

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Iran group's 'secret nuclear site': Legitimate or effort to derail talks?