Four experts arrived in Iran Monday to inspect the country's nuclear programme, in particular its enrichment programme which might enable it to develop nuclear weapons.

Water, air and soil samples will be taken back to Vienna to see if any traces of radioactive isotopes liable for use in an atomic bomb are present.

The results of the mission, which ends Thursday, will be published in a report by IAEA secretary general Mohammed ElBaradei on September 8.

Iran, a country rich in oil, is suspected by its archfoe the United States of covertly developing nuclear weapons under the guise of its civilian nuclear programme, allegations strongly denied by Tehran.

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