Mohammad El-Baradei, the chief of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, is expected to hold talks today with Iranian officials in Tehran on international demands that Iran halt uranium enrichment activities.

El-Baradei said after arriving in the Iranian capital that he believes the time is right for a return to negotiations to reach a political solution between Iran and the international community.

He said he would ask "Iran to take confidence-building measures for a period of time, including suspension ofenrichment and reprocessing relating activities."

El-Baradei arrived in Tehran after world powers on April 12 condemned Iran's announcement that it had successfully enriched uranium.

But Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad rejected calls to halt uranium enrichment, declaring that Iran is now "a nuclear state."

PHOTO CAPTION

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamed El Baradei briefs the media during a board of governors meeting in Vienna's U.N. headquarters February 2, 2006. (Reuters)