The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammed ElBaradei, and a team of UN inspectors are in Iran to assess its nuclear programme. The move follows concern from the United States regarding Iran's recent announcement that it plans to widen the scope of its nuclear activities. Mr. ElBaradei and the inspectors have visited two plants now being built near the towns of Natanz and Arak, sites that the United States claims point to attempts to produce uranium for weapons.

They are due to visit the site of Iran's first nuclear plant near the southern city of Bushehr and will also hold talks with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami.

Iran has always insisted that its nuclear programme is purely for peaceful purposes, but the US says some of Iranian facilities could be used to produce nuclear weapons.

Iran Ready to Produce Nuclear Energy Without Outside Help

Mr. ElBaradei's visit comes less than a month after Mr. Khatami said that Iran had discovered uranium deposits and had started mining near the central city of Yazd.

The president said that Iran - a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), - was now ready to produce nuclear energy without outside help.

Mr. ElBaradei said earlier this week that he hoped to convince Iran to sign the so-called Additional Protocol, which would oblige the country to open up all its nuclear facilities to more intrusive UN inspections.

Tehran has always insisted that nations have "an undeniable right" to pursue nuclear programmes "for peaceful and beneficial purposes", saying the country was open for inspections.

However the US, which last year labeled Iran as part of an "axis of evil", considers the Islamic Republic a state sponsor of terrorism and has criticized the move, saying the country's vast existing oil and gas resources are already adequate.

Washington Concerned over Russia Supplying Nuclear Technology to Iran

The US has also expressed concern over Russia supplying nuclear technology to Iran.

Although Tehran says it is pursuing a nuclear programme for energy production only, the US last year produced satellite photographs of Iranian sites it says could be used for producing nuclear weapons.

Echoing the US concerns, an exiled Iranian opposition group - the National Council of Resistance of Iran - has accused Tehran of moving sensitive equipment, in an attempt to hide a nuclear weapons programme from the inspectors.

PHOTO CAPTION

A closeup from a September 16, 2002 satellite image shows facilities in Natanz, Iran, believed to be part of a previously unknown segment of Iran's nuclear program. Photo by Isis, Digitalglobe/Reuters - Feb 10 8:37