"The fact that Iran agreed to start negotiations on concluding an additional protocol is a positive step," Gwozdeck told reporters

GENEVA, August 27 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – While Iran has agreed to start talks with the U.N. nuclear watchdog on allowing surprise inspections of its nuclear sites, the IAEA director said U.N. inspectors found traces of highly enriched uranium at an Iranian nuclear facility.

A spokesman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Tehran had signaled it was ready to move towards signing an additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that would pave the way for surprise inspections.

"The fact that Iran agreed to start negotiations on concluding an additional protocol is a positive step," IAEA spokesman Mark Gwozdecky told Agence France-Presse (AFP) Tuesday, August 26.

The Iranian government confirmed that it was open to signing a protocol but first wanted "total" guarantees that IAEA inspectors would not be given complete freedom of movement and would not violate military secrets.

"We are still negotiating and we have a positive approach" to the protocol, said government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh at a news conference in Tehran.

"We have not decided when" to make the decision, but "we will undertake nothing without total guarantees."

Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, said his government was ready to sign on for surprise inspections, but said the U.N. agency would first have to take steps to ensure "the preservation of [Iran's] sovereignty," according to Iran's official IRNA news agency.

Tehran is under strong pressure from the international community to sign the nuclear additional protocol.

The United States accuses Iran of secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons and the IAEA states in its report that signing and implementing an additional protocol is the only way to dispel such fears.

Uranium Traces

"Natanz is the most critical point of our inspections. We took samples and found traces of highly enriched uranium," ElBaradei said

The Iranian initial agreement came as IAEA director Mohamed ElBaradei said that international inspectors had found traces of highly enriched uranium at Iran's nuclear facility at Natanz, 180 miles (290 kilometers) south of Tehran.

He told Germany's Stern weekly that they were discovered on gas centrifuges at Natanz, where Iran is building a uranium processing plant.

"Natanz is the most critical point of our inspections. We took samples and found traces of highly enriched uranium," ElBaradei confirmed.

"It is very worrying. If it emerges Iran is not using its nuclear program for peaceful purposes, it could have terrible consequences."

He said Iranian authorities assured the U.N. experts that the machinery involved was tainted before delivery to the site.

"We are checking that. Iran must lay everything open," ElBaradei maintained.

Iran had told U.N. nuclear officials that the uranium came into the country on contaminated equipment purchased from another country, reported the Washington Post ,Wednesday, August 27.

But the American daily quoted what it described as U.N. documents and diplomatic sources as saying that Iran has admitted for the first time that it received substantial foreign help in building its Natanz facility.

Evidence collected in Iran by the IAEA implicates Pakistani companies as suppliers of critical technology and parts, the Post quoted officials familiar with a U.N. investigation of Iran's program as saying Tuesday.

Pakistan, however, has denied providing such assistance.