IAEA to send nuclear inspectors to Iran

Acting on a request from Iran, the International Atomic Energy Agency said today that it will send a team to Tehran as soon as possible to work jointly on a plan meant to clear up suspicions about the Islamic republic's nuclear activities.

The invitation, conveyed yesterday by a senior Iranian envoy and made public today by the agency, was portrayed by some diplomats as a positive step in IAEA attempts to learn more about past activities that could point toward a weapons program. But the US said it was sceptical.