(JTA) — Iran will allow inspectors from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog group to visit a suspected nuclear site on a military base near Tehran, according to the Islamic Republic’s semi-official news agency.
The International Atomic Energy Agency will be granted access to the Parchin military complex at a time to be announced, ISNA reported Tuesday, but the visit cannot be held until an agreement is reached on inspection guidelines. It is believed that Parchin is home to a large chamber to test nuclear explosives.
Also Tuesday, European Union policy chief Catherine Ashton said a group of world powers including Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States have agreed to restart talks with Iran over its suspected nuclear program. The time and place for the talks was not announced.
Iran suggested in a letter last month that the sides meet and that it would bring "new initiatives" to the table.
Iran denied an IAEA request to visit the Parchin site last month during talks in Tehran. The nuclear watchdog last visited the site in 2005, but did not look in the area where the explosives chamber is believed to be located, Reuters reported.
The site could be taken out in a possible Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites. President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly discussed the Iranian nuclear crisis in their meeting Monday in Washington.
