The deputy director-general of the UN's nuclear watchdog will travel to Iran next week, Iran’s envoy to the UN in Vienna was quoted as saying by state media on July 3.
"[Massimo] Aparo...will visit Iran this coming week. His visit is in line with routine safeguards activities and within the framework of a comprehensive safeguards accord," Kazem Gharibabadi said, according to the official government news agency IRNA.
"Although we are in constant contact with the agency, no talks are planned for him in Tehran," Gharibabadi added.
A European diplomatic source confirmed the visit to AFP and said it was principally going to be a visit to the Natanz enrichment facility "to check that inspectors have access to the cascades" of centrifuges used for uranium enrichment.
Iran had reportedly restricted the access of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the site after an explosion on April 11, but access should be "fully" re-established in the next few days, the same source said.
Iran had described the incident as an act of “nuclear terrorism” by Israel.
"As part of the agency's implementation of its safeguards activities in Iran, Deputy Director-General Aparo regularly travels to Iran," an IAEA spokesman was quoted as saying by AFP.
Nuclear Agency Deputy Chief To Visit Iran Next Week
IAEA deputy director-general Massimo Aparo, (file photo)