Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei arrived in this Iranian capital early on Friday for a discussion on Iran's nuclear program.

 

This is ElBaradei's first visit to Iran in over one and a half years. Received by Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, the UN nuclear watchdog chief declined to make any comments on his arrival.

 

Earlier this week, IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said ElBaradei would spend two days in Iran.

 

ElBaradei hoped his visit can contribute to the clarification of some vague issues regarding Iran's nuclear programs and would help to find measures to improve and accelerate the IAEA's supervision and inspection on the programs, Fleming said.

 

Fleming said ElBaradei would meet some senior Iranian officials, but refused to give details.

 

On Dec. 30, 2007, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tehran would put the country's first nuclear power plant into operation with half capacity in the summer of 2008.

 

The United States has accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, which Iran has denied. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

 

The UN Security Council has adopted two resolutions -- one in December 2006 and the other in March of 2007 -- to force Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities and to give up its nuclear programs.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2008)