TEHRAN – Iran’s representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali-Asghar Soltanieh, said here on Friday that the planned IAEA inspectors’ visit to Iran within days is not related to the recent UN Security Council statement on the Iranian nuclear issue.

The Security Council formally approved a statement on March 29 calling on Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities.

The inspections (due to start on Saturday) are taking place in line with the regular IAEA inspections within the framework of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards and were planned in the previous months, Soltanieh added.

Meanwhile, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Deputy Director for Planning and International Affairs Mohammad Saeedi told the Mehr News Agency that the five-member group of the IAEA inspectors arrived in Tehran on Friday and will start their work from Saturday.

The new successor of Olli Heinonen, the IAEA deputy director general and head of the IAEA Department of Safeguards, plans to visit the Natanz nuclear site and the Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility during the group’s stay, he added.