Iran opens nuke plant to foreign tourists

"After an order by the president ... foreign tourists can visit Iran's nuclear facilities," the head of Iran's tourism division, Esfandiar Rahim Mashai, was quoted as saying.

Mashai said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad issued the order to show that Iran's nuclear program it aims to generate fuel, not weapons.

"We are reviewing the related instructions in this regard," he reportedly said.

The report did not clarify the definition of a foreign tourist. The announcement came a day after Iran's parliament voted to debate a bill that would require the government to fingerprint all U.S. citizens visiting Iran.

The draft law would require all American citizens to be fingerprinted when they enter Iran. The measure was in retaliation for the fingerprinting of Iranian travelers visiting the United States ¡ª a procedure implemented in 2002 for Iranians and citizens of several other countries.

The U.S. and some of its allies fear Iran is seeking to enrich uranium to develop nuclear weapons.

Senior U.N. diplomats said Tuesday that Iran's refusal to freeze uranium enrichment had sabotaged talks meant to defuse the standoff over its nuclear program, opening the way for the Security Council to start considering sanctions next week.