International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mr Mohammed ElBaradei will accept an invitation to visit Iran, a UN official said today, as pressure piled on Tehran to submit its nuclear facilities to tougher inspections.
The UN's nuclear watchdog earlier this month reprimanded Iran for repeated failure to report on nuclear material, facilities and activities and called on it to sign a document allowing more intrusive, short-notice inspections of nuclear sites.
Mr Hassan Rohani, secretary-general of the Supreme National Security Council, told visiting British Foreign Secretary Mr Jack Straw that Iran would invite Mr El Baradei for "talks to remove technical problems", the official IRNA news agency reported.
In Vienna, the IAEA said Mr ElBaradei would accept the invitation, although no date had yet been set.
"He has received the invitation and intends to respond positively," an IAEA spokeswoman said. Washington has accused Tehran of secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran says its nuclear ambitions are limited to generating electricity to meet growing demand for its 65 million people.
Russia, a key atomic energy partner of Iran, today joined Western powers in urging Tehran to submit its nuclear facilities to tougher inspections.