UN nuclear chief to visit Iran

**The head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei, is expected in Iran to discuss inspectors’ access to a recently revealed uranium facility.**Iran announced the existence of the enrichment plant, built into a mountain near the city of Qom, late last month.

US President Barack Obama has urged the country to give the UN agency “unfettered access” within two weeks.

The IAEA chief is due in Tehran on Saturday, two days after talks in Geneva between world powers and Iran.

Officials said Mr ElBaradei would discuss dates and conditions for IAEA access to the site, and would meet Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation.

Tehran insists it has the right to develop nuclear energy, but the revelation of the second enrichment facility has heightened fears among Western governments that it is trying to develop nuclear weapons.

We’re committed to serious and meaningful engagement, but we’re not interested in talking for the sake of talking

US President Barack Obama

A high-stakes game

Q&A: Iran and the nuclear issue

Talks herald new phase for Iran

The talks in Geneva earlier this week were the first between Iran and the six world powers - the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany - since July 2008.

Officials said they marked “engagement” on the part of Iran after the country agreed to co-operate “fully and immediately” on the second enrichment facility.

The two sides also agreed to hold further talks in October.

Mr Obama underlined on Thursday that the US expected Tehran to take “constructive actions” to convince the world that it was not trying to build a nuclear weapon.