Iran to agree to nuclear probes

Iran will sign an agreement giving unfettered access to its nuclear facilities, Vice President Gholamreza Aghazadeh said today.

The United States and the three main European powers have been pushing for the additional protocol to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty since it became evident that Iran had an advanced nuclear programme.

Iran committed itself to signing the protocol last October, and the delay has triggered speculation that the government was backtracking. Conservatives in Iran are known to oppose the protocol as a surrender of sovereignty.

Mr Aghazadeh, who is also the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, said that the protocol would be signed in Geneva tomorrow by a representative of Iran's Foreign Ministry.