IRAN: The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, Dr Mohammed ElBaradei, will visit Iran on July 9th amid mounting pressure on the Islamic Republic to accept tougher inspections of its nuclear sites.
The United Nations, United States, Russia and the European Union have all urged Tehran to allow more intrusive, short- notice nuclear inspections, after an IAEA report criticised Iran last month for failing to fully report its atomic activities.
Tehran and the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed plans for Dr ElBaradei's visit on Tuesday.
"The purpose of the visit is to discuss all outstanding issues, particularly those identified in his \ recent report to the board of governors and in the chairman's statement from that meeting," IAEA spokeswoman Ms Melissa Fleming said.
After a debate in June on an internal report, the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors criticised Iran's failure to comply with agreements designed to prevent the use of civilian nuclear resources to make atomic weapons.
Mr Khalil Mousavi, spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, said Dr ElBaradei would meet the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation to discuss ways of expanding cooperation.
But he declined to say whether Iran could sign an Additional Protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which would allow fuller inspections. Iran is a signatory to the NPT but has not signed the protocol, saying sanctions barring the transfer of technology to Tehran must first be lifted. - (Reuters)