Senior officials of the UN nuclear watchdog agency left Vienna for Iran Wednesday, saying they would push Tehran to finally allow a visit to a site where nuclear weapon parts were allegedly tested, dpa reported.
Herman Nackaerts, the chief inspector of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said his team would try to secure an agreement on access to sites, officials and documents involved in projects that the agency has linked with possible nuclear weapons development.
"This structured approach has been under negotiation now for almost one year," Nackaerts said at Vienna airport, referring to several previous rounds of fruitless negotiations about such an agreement.
He made clear that he was hoping to visit the Parchin military site near Tehran, where nuclear explosions were simulated, according to Western intelligence services.
Iranian media outlets have reported earlier that this IAEA visit to Iran did not imply visiting any military or nuclear facilities in Iran.
Reportedly, upon arrival in Tehran, the IAEA representatives should be meeting with Iranian officials, and with the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Association Fereidoon Abbasi as well.
Iran has so far refused a visit and has said evidence pointing to a weapons effort is fabricated.
Satellite images taken over the course of this year show that the ground at Parchin has been razed and buildings removed, making it more difficult to find traces of nuclear projects.
Edited by: S. Isayev