Iran has invited the UN nuclear watchdog to visit for talks, an Iranian envoy told Reuters on Tuesday, suggesting Tehran would be prepared to address concerns about its atomic ambitions. Ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh said Iran earlier this month sent a letter to UN nuclear agency chief Yukiya Amano, who last month issued a report which pointed to military links to Tehran's nuclear programme, a charge it denies.
The letter, Soltanieh said, renewed an Iranian invitation from October for a team of senior International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officials to travel to the country. "I have also had discussions with the officials of the agency and we are planning for the visit," Soltanieh said.
Amano has made clear that any new visit to Tehran by senior IAEA officials must address its growing concerns about potential military aims of the nuclear programme, which Iran says is strictly peaceful. Asked whether Iran would be willing to discuss such issues, Soltanieh said: "We are going to discuss any questions and to work towards removing the ambiguities and resolving the issue."