UN nuclear agency chief Yukiya Amano is expected to visit Tehran on November 11, Iranian state television said on Tuesday, a possible sign of progress in a long-stalled investigation into suspected nuclear arms research by Tehran.
The head of Iran's atomic energy organisation, Ali Akbar Salehi, said he hoped the two sides would reach an agreement during Amano's visit, state television said on its web site, without giving details. The International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran have held a series of fruitless meetings since early 2012 to agree ground rules for the IAEA inquiry investigation. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons, saying it wants only civilian atomic energy. After talks last week between senior IAEA and Iranian officials in Vienna, described by both sides as "very productive", a new round was set for November 11 in Tehran, but without any word on Amano possibly taking part. Salehi said he had invited Amano to visit on that day and that the IAEA director-general had expressed his "inclination" to do so, state television said. It would be Amano's first visit to the Iranian capital since May last year.
Salehi said he hoped that "we will reach an agreement in this trip with the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency and issue a joint statement". There was no immediate comment from the IAEA.
