UN Nuclear Watchdog Chief To Visit Iran

Yukiya Amano, director-general of the IAEA, speaks to journalists during his press conference of the IAEA board of governors meeting in Vienna last month.

The head of the UN nuclear agency is heading to Tehran for high-level meetings in a bid to accelerate his probe of allegations that Iran worked in the past on nuclear weapons.

A spokesman at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Yukiya Amano's meetings on September 20 are aimed at "clarifications of past and present outstanding issues" linked to the agency's probe.

Diplomats told The Associated Press on September 18 that Amano planned a trip soon to push for long-delayed interviews with Iranian scientists linked to alleged experiments as well as to discuss a planned inspection of Parchin.

The agency has identified that site, southeast of Tehran, as where some of the suspected work took place.

Iran denies any work on nuclear arms.

Earlier this month, the IAEA said it had sent Iran questions over "ambiguities" in its submissions relating to the assessment of its past nuclear activities.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters