DHAKA: Teheran is ready to allow nuclear inspectors access to its Marivan military site, an Iranian official said Saturday, a facility long suspected of being used to develop explosive weapons.

The declaration comes as Iran and six world powers hold talks in Vienna to reach a lasting agreement on Teheran’s disputed nuclear programme before November 24.

Such a deal, after 12 years of rising tensions, is aimed at easing fears that Teheran will develop nuclear weapons under the guise of its civilian activities, an ambition the Islamic republic has always fiercely denied.

The Marivan site, close to the Iraqi border, was mentioned in a 2011 report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran's alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 2153 HRS, NOV 22, 2014