Iran said on Tuesday it has invited ambassadors of some of the six world powers and European Union nations to visit its nuclear facilities ahead of talks in Istanbul over its atomic programme.
"The representatives of some European Union countries, NAM (Non-Aligned Movement), and some representatives of the five-plus-one (six world powers) have been invited to visit our nuclear sites," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters.
He did not specify whether arch-foe the United States, one of the six world powers negotiating with Iran over its controversial nuclear programme, is among those invited.
Mehmanparast said the visit "will take place before the Istanbul meeting."
Iran and the six powers — Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany — are to meet later this month in Istanbul for another round of talks on Tehran's atomic programme.
The previous round of talks, which took place after a hiatus of 14 months, was held in Geneva on December 6 and 7.
The talks are aimed at ascertaining whether Iran’s nuclear programme masks a weapons programme as suspected by the world powers.
The Islamic republic says its atomic drive is purely for peaceful goals.