"Experts from the IAEA will be in Tehran from Saturday to start negotiations on the signature of the additional protocol," Iran's representative to the IAEA, Ali Akbar Salehi, told AFP Tuesday.

Iran's signature and implementation of the additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is a key demand of an IAEA resolution passed on September 12.

The resolution threatens to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for breach of the NPT if it fails to satisfy by the end of October suspicions it is concealing covert weapons development behind its civil energy programme.

But the regime here insists on negotiations before signing the NPT, even though it says it is willing to cooperate on other demands made in the resolution.

On the protocol, Salehi would only reiterate that "our approach is positive and serious".

Earlier Tuesday, President Mohammad Khatami said Iran was ready to give its full cooperation to the IAEA but said the UN watchdog also needed to take stock of the Islamic republic's interests.

"We are very benevolent people and we do not want to create problems. We have declared that we will cooperate with all our strength with the IAEA," the president told reporters after a parliament meeting.

Khatami stuck by Iran's demand for talks on the additional protocol, saying the IAEA needed to take into account "the general conditions for the respect of our honour, national security and national interests."

IAEA director general Mohamed ElBaradei is to visit Iran on Thursday, 15 days before the watchdog's deadline expires.

WAR.WIRE