Iran agrees to delay nuclear restart by 48 hours

The country has adopted a high-stakes policy of brinksmanship to try to secure a deal with Europe.

But it agreed to a request from Mohammed El Baradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who asked Tehran for a "maximum of two days" to send inspectors to Iran's nuclear facility where they can oversee the dismantling of UN seals, Ali Agha Mohammadi, a spokesman for Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said.

Earlier, Mr Mohammadi had said that Iranian technicians would break the seals and restart nuclear processing immediately.

However, he said the combination of restraint and resolve towards restarting uranium processing showed the Iranian government's intention not to squander the country's fundamental right to nuclear power, while preserving close ties to Europe.

"Our people were worried that the government may have done a deal with the Europeans and given up the rights of the nation," Mr Mohammadi said. "We will do the rest of the work in co-ordination with the Europeans."

European Union negotiators have said they are days from delivering a package of incentives addressing security and political, economic and nuclear issues.

Mr El Baradei had warned Iran "not to take any action that might prejudice the process at this critical stage".

He said: "I also call on Iran not to take any unilateral action that could undermine the agency inspection process at a time when the agency is making steady progress in resolving outstanding issues."

Until yesterday's late change of heart, two years of hard bargaining over a nuclear programme that Tehran had kept secret for 18 years appeared to be heading towards a crisis that could have resulted in Iran's case sent to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

The so-called EU3 - Britain, France and Germany - have been trying to mediate between the United States, which insists Tehran is trying to produce nuclear weapons, and Iran, which says it has a right to develop peaceful atomic technology.