Tehran said today the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog would visit Iran on July 9th as pressure mounts on the country to accept tougher inspections of its nuclear sites.
In Vienna, the International Atomic Energy Agency said yesterday Mr Mohammed ElBaradei had accepted Iran's invitation, but said no date had yet been set.
The United Nations, United States, Russia and the European Union have all urged Iran to allow more intrusive, short-notice nuclear inspections after an IAEA report criticised Iran last month for failing to fully report its atomic activities.
Iran is a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but has resisted calls to sign an Additional Protocol to the agreement allowing fuller inspections, saying sanctions barring the transfer of technology to Tehran must first be lifted.
Iran says a nuclear power station being built with Russian help near its southern port of Bushehr and at least two other sites are for purely peaceful purposes.
Washington has accused Tehran of secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons and questions why Iran, OPEC's second largest oil producer with the world's second largest gas reserves, would want nuclear energy.
The Japanese government said today a Japanese consortium it was backing was unlikely to conclude a $2 billion deal to develop a large Iranian oil field due to concerns over Iran's nuclear programme.
The EU, meanwhile, has also threatened to suspend a trade and cooperation agreement under negotiation with Tehran if Iran fails to sign the Additional Protocol.