Dubai: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohammad el Baradei is in Iran to inspect its nuclear facilities, after Tehran announced discovery of uranium mines, a disclosure supported by Russia but described by US as one which is part of a secret weapons programme.

Russia said it was Iran's "natural right" to use nuclear energy as an IAEA delegation headed by el Baradei arrived on February 21 in Tehran to take a critical look at Iran's ongoing nuclear programme.

"El Baradei has arrived with two other officials from the IAEA on a two-day visit to the nuclear facilities and also to meet Iranian officials," Iran's Envoy to the IAEA and a senior nuclear expert Ali Akbar Salehi said.

Iran's nuclear reactor, being built by Russia at a cost of $ 800 million in the Southern city of Bushehr, is expected to go active by 2004. Tehran will get uranium needed for the reactor from its newly discovered mines close to the city of Yazd.

Russia's Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev said in Moscow that his country's nuclear co-operation with Iran is merely focussed on peaceful use of that energy and "it is the natural right of Iran to use the nuclear energy".

"The nuclear technology provided by Russia at Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant is under direct supervision of the IAEA. Iran, as of now, has none of the required technical facilities to manufacture atomic weapons," he was quoted by the Russian Interfax news agency.

Rumyantsev said, "Unlike the US, Russia is not the slightest bit worried about the discovery of uranium mines in Iran and the IAEA delegation's talks in Tehran would further clarify the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities."

The Minister said, "It is also the economic and natural right of the Iranians to be benefited from their own uranium mines to provide fuel for their atomic plants."

El Baradei will go to Natanz, about 320 km South of Tehran to visit an under- construction facility, which Iran says is for nuclear enrichment. El Baradei might also inspect another nuclear facility in Central Iran's Arak.

Iran, earlier this month revealed that it started mining uranium for the first time and will shortly open a facility to process the ore into fuel, vowing to move ahead with a nuclear programme it says is only for energy production.

The project would give Iran, which the US accused of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, independent access to fissile material.

Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation (AEO) Gholam Reza Aghazadeh had said mines near Ardakan, in Central Iran, have begun extracting uranium from underground reserves.

The US has expressed concern over Iran's nuclear programme, which it describes as part of the "axis of evil", but Tehran has insisted its nuclear programme was for generating power for its 65 million people.

Iran uses an estimated 2.5 million barrels of oil per day for generating electricity for domestic consumption and is looking for substitute energy to produce cheaper power.

"Iran has transparent programme to apply nuclear energy for peaceful use. Iran has no plan to produce nuclear arms and believes that the entire Middle East should become nuclear free zone," Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazzi was quoted by the Iranian News Agency (IRNA) as saying.

"All Iranian nuclear facilities are being monitored by the IAEA and the agency's cameras are being installed over all Iranian nuclear sites," Kharazzi said.

El Baradei is leading a two-member delegation at the invitation of the head of Iran's AEO Gholam Reza Aghazadeh.

Iran, as one of the first members of IAEA, has co-operated with IAEA, which has so far given a clean chit to its nuclear programme.

PTI