The head of the United Nations nuclear agency says he expects Iran to sign an agreement “quite soon” to allow inspections of facilities suspected of being used in a covert nuclear weapons program.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano made the comment Tuesday after returning to Vienna from a brief visit to Iran where he met chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. Amano said he and Jalili made a “decision to reach an agreement” on U.N. access to Iranian sites including the Parchin military complex.

Western powers suspect Iran has engaged in atomic weapons research at the site. Tehran says Parchin is a conventional weapons facility and insists the Iranian nuclear program is peaceful.

Israel sees a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its existence and refuses to rule out military action against the Iranian nuclear program. Israeli Cabinet minister Matan Vilnai dismissed the prospect of an imminent IAEA agreement, saying Tuesday that Israel has to be “suspicious of Iran all the time” due what he called Tehran's record of deceit.

Amano said some differences remain between the IAEA and Iran on the nuclear issue and he is not sure when they will be resolved. But, he also said Jalili assured him those differences will not be an obstacle to a deal.

Representatives of six world powers are preparing to meet with Jalili in Baghdad on Wednesday to try to negotiate a separate agreement for Iran to stop producing highly-enriched uranium that could be converted quickly to nuclear bomb material.

It is not clear how Amano's apparent progress with Iran on IAEA inspections will affect the Baghdad negotiations on enrichment.

Acting U.S. envoy to the IAEA Robert Wood said Washington remains “concerned” by what he called Iran's “urgent obligation” to cooperate fully with the U.N. nuclear agency in resolving suspicions about the nature of the Iranian nuclear program.

The United States also has refused to rule out a strike on Iran to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the six world powers negotiating with Iran to avoid concessions and to show “determination and not weakness” in the Baghdad talks.

Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed nation in the Middle East.

The head of the United Nations nuclear agency says he expects Iran to sign an agreement “quite soon” to allow inspections of facilities suspected of being used in a covert nuclear weapons program.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukio Amano made the comment Tuesday after returning to Vienna from a brief visit to Iran where he met chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. Amano said he and Jalili made a “decision to reach an agreement” on U.N. access to Iranian sites including the Parchin military complex.

Western powers suspect Iran has engaged in atomic weapons research at the site. Tehran says Parchin is a conventional weapons facility and insists the Iranian nuclear program is peaceful.

Israel sees a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its existence and refuses to rule out military action against the Iranian nuclear program. Israeli Cabinet minister Matan Vilnai dismissed the prospect of an imminent IAEA agreement, saying Tuesday that Israel has to be “suspicious of Iran all the time” due what he called Tehran's record of deceit.

Amano said some differences remain between the IAEA and Iran on the nuclear issue and he is not sure when they will be resolved. But, he also said Jalili assured him those differences will not be an obstacle to a deal.

Representatives of six world powers are preparing to meet with Jalili in Baghdad on Wednesday to try to negotiate a separate agreement for Iran to stop producing highly-enriched uranium that could be converted quickly to nuclear bomb material.

It is not clear how Amano's apparent progress with Iran on IAEA inspections will affect the Baghdad negotiations on enrichment.

Acting U.S. envoy to the IAEA Robert Wood said Washington remains “concerned” by what he called Iran's “urgent obligation” to cooperate fully with the U.N. nuclear agency in resolving suspicions about the nature of the Iranian nuclear program.

The United States also has refused to rule out a strike on Iran to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the six world powers negotiating with Iran to avoid concessions and to show “determination and not weakness” in the Baghdad talks.

Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed nation in the Middle East.

Yemeni soldiers somberly marched in a National Day parade on Tuesday, one day after a suicide bomber killed at least 96 troops and wounded more than 200 during a rehearsal for the parade.

Al-Qaida's wing in Yemen said Monday's bomb attack was revenge for what the group called a U.S.-backed war on its followers.

Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi watched Tuesday from behind a bulletproof glass shield as a smaller parade was moved to the grounds of the air force academy in Sana'a. He made no public comment.

The French news agency reports that Yemen's Army chief of staff Ali al-Ashwal warned al-Qaida that the “war” against them would continue,

“The barbaric attack on Sabeen Square will not scare us and will not prevent us from going ahead with our war on these evil elements,” Ashwal told onlookers. “Our war on them will not stop until we free our land.”

Turkish Ambassador Fazli Corman, who attended the ceremony, told the Reuters news agency: “Everyone was relieved at the end that it went safely, there was not a celebratory atmosphere, it was solemn.”

Al-Qaida's local affiliate said Yemen's top military commanders were a target of Monday's attack. The defense minister and chief of staff both were at the rehearsal but were unharmed.

Yemen's government is carrying out a U.S.-backed offensive against Islamist militants who seized southern regions last year as the country was engulfed in an uprising against then-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Al-Qaida has warned of more attacks if the government offensive continues.

In Monday's bombing, Yemeni officials say a man wearing the uniform of the Central Security Forces detonated explosives as hundreds of fellow troops lined up to rehearse for the military parade to mark the 22nd anniversary of unification of Yemen's north and south.

U.S. President Barack Obama has said Washington is very worried about al-Qaida terrorism and extremism in Yemen. He said Yemen's poverty and instability attracts extremists. Mr. Obama said the U.S. will continue to work with the government in Sana'a to identify al-Qaida “leadership and operations and try to thwart them.”

The head of the U.N. nuclear agency says he expects Iran to sign a deal with the International Atomic Energy Agency “quite soon.”

But IAEA chief Yukio Amano said Tuesday in Vienna there are still some differences to be sorted out. Amano has just returned from Tehran, where he met with Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, and the Iranian nuclear energy organization chief, Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani.

Amano's trip was his first to Iran since taking office at the U.N. nuclear agency in 2009. He was expected to discuss Iran's dispute with the United Nations over access to Iranian facilities suspected of being used for a covert nuclear-weapons program.

After the talks, Jalili said he had a good discussion with Amano about how to cooperate on global nuclear disarmament, stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and supporting the rights of IAEA member states.

The acting U.S. envoy to the IAEA urged Iran to take “concrete steps” to fully and transparently cooperate with the IAEA. He said he looked forward to learning more as the dialogue between Iran and the IAEA continues.

Iran has rejected repeated IAEA requests to inspect its Parchin military complex in response to Western allegations of atomic weapons research at the site. Tehran says the complex houses only conventional weapons and insists the Iranian nuclear program is peaceful.

Jalili arrived in Baghdad, Iraq, late Monday before nuclear talks with world powers on Wednesday.

The world powers include the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany – a group that has been trying to assess the possible military capability of Iran's nuclear sites.

Israel sees a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its existence and refuses to rule out military action against the Iranian nuclear program.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Iran a threat to the entire world Monday and urged world powers not to make concessions to Iran at the talks.

The United States also has refused to rule out a strike on Iran to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Yemen is marking the 22nd anniversary of its unification, a day after a suicide bomber killed at least 96 members of the military and wounded more than 200 during a rehearsal for an independence day parade.

Soldiers participated in a smaller parade that was moved to the grounds of the air force academy in Sana'a Tuesday. Yemeni President Abed Robbo Mansour Hadi watched the festivities from behind a bulletproof glass shield.

Few people ventured out on the streets of the capital due to the fear of more attacks.

Al-Qaida claimed responsibility for Monday's suicide bomb attack. The terrorist group said the assault was revenge for what it called a U.S.-backed war on its followers.

Yemeni officials say a suspected rogue soldier detonated explosives as hundreds of fellow troops lined up to rehearse for the military parade marking the unification of Yemen's north and south.

Yemen's defense minister and chief of staff both were at the Sana'a rehearsal but were unharmed. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula said the defense minister was a target of the bombing and warned of more attacks if the government offensive does not stop.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Washington is very worried about al-Qaida terrorism and extremism in Yemen. Mr. Obama said Yemen's poverty and instability attracts extremists. He said the U.S. would continue to work with the government in Sana'a to identify al-Qaida “leadership and operations and try to thwart them.”

President Hadi, who took office in February, responded to the bombing by vowing to press on with the fight against al-Qaida. He also dismissed two senior Yemeni military commanders who were allies of his predecessor. Mr. Hadi has promised to restructure the military and purge it of Saleh relatives and loyalists suspected of blocking reforms.

The head of the U.N. nuclear agency says he expects Iran to sign a deal with the International Atomic Energy Agency “quite soon.”

But IAEA chief Yukio Amano told reporters Tuesday in Vienna that there were still some differences that needed to be sorted out. Amano has just returned from Tehran, where he held talks with Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, and the Iranian nuclear energy organization chief, Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani.

It was Amano's first trip to Iran since taking office at the U.N. nuclear agency in 2009. He was expected to discuss Iran's running dispute with the U.N. over access to Iranian facilities that are suspected of being used for a covert nuclear weapons program.

Iran has rejected repeated IAEA requests to inspect its Parchin military complex in response to Western allegations of atomic weapons research at the site. Tehran says the complex houses only conventional weapons and insists the Iranian nuclear program is peaceful.

After the talks, Jalili said he had a good discussion with Amano about how to cooperate on global nuclear disarmament, stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and supporting the rights of IAEA member states.

Jalili arrived in Baghdad, Iraq, late Monday ahead of nuclear talks with world powers on Wednesday.

The world powers include the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany – a group that has been trying to assess the possible military capability of Iran's nuclear sites.

Israel sees a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its existence and refuses to rule out military action against the Iranian nuclear program.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Iran a threat to the entire world Monday and urged world powers not to make concessions to Iran at the talks.

The United States also has refused to rule out a strike on Iran to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons.

The head of the U.N. nuclear agency says he expects Iran to sign a deal with the International Atomic Energy Tangency “quite soon.”

But IAEA chief Yukio Amano told reporters Tuesday in Vienna that there were still some differences that needed to be sorted out. Amano has just returned from Tehran, where he held talks with Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, and the Iranian nuclear energy organization chief, Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani.

It was Amano's first trip to Iran since taking office at the U.N. nuclear agency in 2009. He was expected to discuss Iran's running dispute with the U.N. over access to Iranian facilities that are suspected of being used for a covert nuclear weapons program.

Iran has rejected repeated IAEA requests to inspect its Parchin military complex in response to Western allegations of atomic weapons research at the site. Tehran says the complex houses only conventional weapons and insists the Iranian nuclear program is peaceful.

After the talks, Jalili said he had a good discussion with Amano about how to cooperate on global nuclear disarmament, stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and supporting the rights of IAEA member states.

Jalili arrived in Baghdad, Iraq, late Monday ahead of nuclear talks with world powers on Wednesday.

The world powers include the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany – a group that has been trying to assess the possible military capability of Iran's nuclear sites.

Israel sees a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its existence and refuses to rule out military action against the Iranian nuclear program.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Iran a threat to the entire world Monday and urged world powers not to make concessions to Iran at the talks.

The United States also has refused to rule out a strike on Iran to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons.

A Syrian rights group says a bomb has exploded in Damascus, killing five people.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday the blast targeted the neighborhood of Qaboun, which has been the center of several protests against President Bashar al-Assad.

The blast came a day after activists said government forces stormed the village of Qastoun. An activist living in the central city of Hama told Reuters news agency that dozens of mortars had hit the village and caused casualties.

In Lebanon, hundreds of mourners fired into the air Monday at a raucous funeral for anti-Syrian cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Abdul-Wahid. His killing set off street battles in Beirut that left at least two people dead and more than a dozen wounded.

The Lebanese military says it is investigating the cleric's shooting.

The clashes in Beirut were the most serious unrest there since the Syrian uprising began 15 months ago. Fighting in northern Lebanon linked to the chaos in Syria also has killed eight people during the past week .

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the spread of violence into Lebanon is extremely worrisome, and the U.S. State Department urged all parties to exercise restraint.

Al-Qaida says a suicide bomber's attack in Yemen that killed at least 96 troops and wounded more than 200 on Monday was revenge for what it called a U.S.-backed war on its followers.

Yemeni officials say a suspected rogue soldier detonated the explosives as hundreds of fellow troops were lining up for a military parade rehearsal in the capital Sana'a. The soldiers were preparing for a parade on Tuesday to mark the unification of Yemen's north and south.

Al-Qaida's Yemen-based affiliate said the attack was aimed at top Yemeni commanders. It came during a U.S.-backed Yemeni government offensive against militants who seized southern regions last year as the country was engulfed in an uprising against then-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Washington is very worried about al-Qaida terrorism and extremism in Yemen. Mr. Obama said Yemen's poverty and instability attracts extremists and that the U.S. would continue to work with the government in Sana'a to identify al-Qaida “leadership and operations and try to thwart them.”

White House counter-terrorism chief John Brennan said he spoke to Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who “pledged not to let terrorist acts interfere with Yemen's peaceful political transition.”

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on all people in Yemen to reject the use of violence and fully implement a political transition agreement that saw Mr. Saleh step down earlier this year after 33 years of autocratic rule.

Yemen's defense minister and chief of staff both were at the Sana'a rehearsal but were unharmed. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula said the defense minister was a target of the bombing and warned of more attacks if the government offensive does not stop.

President Hadi, who succeeded Mr. Saleh in February, responded to the bombing by vowing to press on with the fight against al-Qaida. He also dismissed two senior Yemeni military commanders who were allies of his predecessor. Mr. Hadi has promised to restructure the military and purge it of Saleh relatives and loyalists suspected of blocking reforms.

Economist Intelligence Unit Middle East analyst Robert Powell told VOA that al-Qaida has been trying to organize itself in Sana'a for a long time and its activities have usually been disrupted. He said the symbolism and substantial casualties from the attack on the military parade rehearsal indicate that al-Qaida has a greater reach inside Yemen than previously known.