"Up to the minute, he is expected in Tehran by the end of the week and it is taking place based on a mutual agreement," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying.

Since weekend actually refers to Thursday and Friday in Iran, Asefi's revelation disproved a report on Saturday that ElBaradei would arrive in Iran within two days.

The spokesman also reiterated that Tehran would not comply with a presidential statement adopted by the UN Security Council on March 29 that urges Iran to resume suspension of all uranium enrichment activities in 30 days.

"It is impossible to convince Iran to yield its legitimate right through force and pressure. Iran is attempting to restore its relevant rights," Asefi said.

ElBaradei's upcoming visit to Iran has been viewed as a last-ditch effort to ease the escalating tension over Iran's nuclear issue as he is expected to submit a report on Iran's compliance with the UN Security Council's demand at the end of this month.

Five IAEA inspectors arrived in Tehran on Friday to carry out inspection of the uranium enrichment plant in Natanz and the uranium conversion facility in Isfahan within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Tehran has stopped the UN nuclear watchdog' snap inspections since the agency voted to report Iran's nuclear issue to the UN Security Council early February.

The IAEA board of governors on March 8 handed over files of the Iranian nuclear issue to the UN Security Council in accordance with the agency's resolution on Feb. 4.

Iran has denounced the involvement of the Security Council, vowing never to give in to pressures and bullies.

The United States accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons secretly, but Iran rejects the charge, saying its nuclear program is for fully peaceful purposes and it will never give up its right to peaceful nuclear technology enshrined in the NPT.