The UN atomic watchdog convened its regular June board meeting here today, with Iran's nuclear programme expected to dominate following the country's disputed presidential election.
Over the next four days, the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-member board is scheduled to discuss a wide range of topics, including its annual budget; the election of a successor to director general Mohamed ElBaradei, who is stepping down in November after 12 years in office.
It will also look into the agency's latest reports on the deadlocked probes into the alleged illicit nuclear activities in Iran and Syria.
But the Iranian dossier in particular has taken on added urgency given the landslide re-election of hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the weekend.
The world has been closely watching the election for any signs of a shift in policy after four years of anti-Western and anti-Israeli rhetoric from Ahmadinejad amid the nuclear standoff. But Ahmadinejad has vowed to continue on the same path in his next mandate.
The United States has cast doubt on the validity of the poll, while European powers have condemned the ensuing police crackdown on opposition protesters.
Analysts suggest that Ahmadinejad's re-election could isolate Iran which is under three sets of UN sanctions over its nuclear programme, pursued doggedly during his first term.
