UN nuclear chief in Tehran for nuclear meetings

The UN nuclear watchdog chief was in Iran for expected talks with President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials after the discovery of uranium particles enriched to near weapons-grade level.

The two-day visit by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency comes as the Vienna-based organisation seeks greater cooperation with Iran over its nuclear activities.

Rafael Grossi arrived in Iran and a diplomatic source said that he would meet Raisi during his trip to "relaunch the dialogue" on Iran's atomic work and to "reset the relationship at the highest level".

Grossi had made clear "that he was only prepared to go to Tehran if he had an invitation to speak with the president," the source added.

The UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said he had "constructive discussions" with Iranian officials that could pave the way for the revival of a landmark 2015 agreement.

"By constructive discussions that we are having now, and by good agreements, I'm sure we are going to be paving the way for important agreements," Grossi said in a news conference in Tehran alongside Mohammad Eslami, director of Atomic Energy Agency of Iran.

Uranium particles enriched up to 83.7 percent -- just under the 90 percent needed to produce an atomic bomb -- had been detected at Iran's underground Fordow plant about 100 kilometres south of the capital, according to a confidential IAEA report this week.

Tehran denies wanting to acquire atomic weapons, and said it had not made any attempt to enrich uranium beyond 60 percent purity.