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VIENNA, Oct. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- The head of the United Nations nuclear
watchdog agency will visit Iran later this week, with the purpose of pressing
Tehran to clarify outstanding questions about its alleged quest of nuclear
programs, a statement by the agency said Monday.
The purpose of the visit by Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, the Director General of
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is to urge Iran to provide the
IAEA, during the visit, with all the remaining information required to clarify
important questions still outstanding about Iran's nuclear programs.
ElBaradei's visit was scheduled just 15 days before the Oct. 31deadline
imposed by the IAEA, demanding that Iran dispel suspicions centering on its
nuclear programs.
Earlier this year, IAEA inspectors found traces of weapons-grade enriched
uranium in several Iranian nuclear facilities, which led to the imposition of
the deadline.
ElBaradei earlier told The Financial Times that Iran had not provided the
IAEA with necessary information to prove the civiliannature of its nuclear
activity. Iran had repeated the civilian nature of its nuclear activity.
Iran insisted that it would provide the inspectors with necessary
cooperation within the framework of its obligation. Reports say Iran has
submitted a report about Natans nuclear facility to the inspection group, and
allowed inspectors to install monitors to record undeclared nuclear activity
there.
One Iranian opposition group claimed on Monday that Iran had been
withholding information on its nuclear facilities from the IAEA, and the group
promised to provide all details on Iran's undeclared nuclear facilities to the
agency the next day.
However, the IAEA said it would analyze all information sourcesbefore
comment.
At the invitation of Iran, ElBaradei will leave Vienna on Wednesday for the
two-or three-day visit to Tehran, during which he will hold talks with Iranian
officials, said an IAEA spokesman.
Iran is a signatory country of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which
bans the pursuit of nuclear arms. Iran once threatened to withdraw from the
treaty after being accused of developing secret nuclear weapons. Enditem
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