ElBaradei to visit Iran next week

AFP: The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei, will visit Iran next week as Tehran continues its stand-off with the United Nations over its nuclear programme, a diplomat with the agency said Friday. VIENNA, April 7, 2006 (AFP) – The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei, will visit Iran next week as Tehran continues its stand-off with the United Nations over its nuclear programme, a diplomat with the agency said Friday.

“The IAEA director general Mohamed ElBaradei will be travelling to Tehran to meet with senior officials for discussions related to outstanding safeguard verification issues and other confidence building measures requested by the IAEA board of governors,” the diplomat said.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors arrived Iran on Friday to visit the country’s uranium enrichment facility and other sites.

The UN Security Council, in a non-binding statement, called on Iran on March 29 to suspend all its enrichment-related activities in 30 days, a move promptly rejected by Tehran.

The diplomat did not say what day ElBaradei would go to Iran.