Expert: Iran nuclear program now having technical problems

WASHINGTON - Technical problems are slowing down Iran's uranium enrichment, allowing more time for diplomacy to defuse tensions over its nuclear program, a former official with the UN atomic watchdog said.

"It looks like that there might be still time for a negotiation," said Olli Heinonen, former deputy director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iran has run into technical difficulties in its efforts to enrich uranium, due possibly to a flawed design for centrifuges, Heinonen said on Monday at an event organized by the Arms Control Association.