"We've seen these antics by Iran before," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told AFP, adding "it is an attempt to distract from its failure to live up to its obligations to the IAEA," the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN watchdog.

"Whatever the magical mystery tour Iran envisions, it is not a substitute for the need to transparently cooperate with the IAEA," Crowley said.

In Tehran, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said invitations to visit Iran's nuclear sites in Natanz and Arak have been sent to ambassadors of some of the nations represented in the IAEA.

Diplomatic sources at the IAEA in Vienna said, however, that invitations had gone out to Russia and China, but that the United States, Britain, France and Germany were not on the list.

The invitees also include Hungary as rotating president of the European Union, Egypt and Cuba, according to the sources.

The rare move to open up its facilities comes as Tehran works to garner support for its atomic drive in the run-up to talks with the six world powers in Turkey at the end of January.

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