Iran, IAEA to discuss nuclear probe
An Iranian delegation is to meet with UN atomic agency officials in Vienna to discuss details of an inspection visit to Parchin, a controversial military site.
The US has charged that the site is involved in nuclear weapons work.
Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency reported on Thursday that the inspection of Parchin could take place “within a few days” of the discussions, which will be on Friday.
On Wednesday, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director Muhammad al-Baradai announced that Iran had finally given the green light for his inspectors to investigate Parchin, a huge complex 30km southeast of Tehran.
The US says the Iranians may be working on testing “high-explosive shaped charges with an inert core of depleted uranium” at Parchin as a test for how a bomb with fissile material would work.
The IAEA has been seeking access to Parchin since July.
Tehran has strongly denied carrying out any nuclear-related work at the site and insists its nuclear effort at other sites is aimed at generating electricity.
Parchin is an example of a transparency visit, where the IAEA is going beyond its mandate under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to see whether nuclear materials have been diverted from peaceful use.