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A team of UN inspectors has arrived in Iran to visit a controversial uranium enrichment plant near the town of Qom.
The four scientists were due to inspect the facility on Sunday, as Western powers waited for Iran's reply to a UN-backed proposal which could see its uranium shipped overseas for enrichment.
Barack Obama, the US president, contacted his French and Russian counterparts on Saturday to ensure their commitment to the plan drafted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Both Nicolas Sarkozy and Dmitry Medvedev "affirmed their full support" for a recently offered deal, the White House said.
Urging Iran to embrace the deal, the three leaders also "discussed the importance of all parties accepting the proposal so that implementation can begin as soon as possible."
Iran response
Tehran missed a Friday deadline for responding to the deal, saying it would give its answer next week.
State TV has said Iran would prefer to buy uranium for a reactor that makes medical isotopes, rather than send its own stock abroad for enrichment.
Ali Larijani, Iran's parliament speaker, said on Saturday that Western powers are trying to "cheat" Iran through deal.
"They are saying we will give you the 20 per cent [enriched uranium] fuel for the Tehran reactor only if you give us your enriched uranium," he told Iran's ISNA news agency.
"I see no links between providing the fuel for the Tehran reactor and sending Iran's low enriched uranium abroad."
Western nations accuse Iran of planning to use its uranium enrichment programme to produce nuclear weapons and the disclosure of the Qom facility in September heightened their fears.
"I see no links between providing the fuel for the Tehran reactor and sending Iran's low enriched uranium abroad."
Western nations accuse Iran of planning to use its uranium enrichment programme to produce nuclear weapons and the disclosure of the Qom facility in September heightened their fears.
The Iranian Mehr news agency, quoting an unnamed Austria-based official, said the inspectors would only visit the Qom facility, not the Natanz plant which has been used for uranium enrichment for several years.
"The IAEA representatives will compare the information given by Iran [about the Qom plant] with the facility during their three-day visit," the official said.
The disclosure triggered widespread global outrage, with the US warning that Iran would face "increased pressure" if it does not come clean on its nuclear activities.
Tehran denies its seeks an atomic bomb and says its nuclear programme is aimed at meeting its civilian energy needs.
Tehran denies its seeks an atomic bomb and says its nuclear programme is aimed at meeting its civilian energy needs.
PHOTO CAPTION
An Iranian technician works at the Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facilities (UCF), 2007.
Al-Jazeera
