Iran has sent letters to a number of ambassadors to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, inviting them to visit two sites — the Natanz uranium enrichment plant and the Arak heavy water complex — in the coming weeks.

Diplomats from Britain, France, Germany and the United States were not invited. But Hungary, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union until July, was invited, leaving the EU in a quandary over what to do. “What I’ll be saying is the role of the inspections of nuclear sites is for the IAEA and I do hope Iran will ensure that the IAEA is able to go and continue and fulfill its work,” Ashton told Reuters after talks with Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi, saying the invitation would be rejected. While the United States and the three EU powers most involved in applying pressure on Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment were snubbed by Tehran, Russia and China, which are also involved in sporadic nuclear talks with Iran, were invited.

Ashton said she had consulted with Russia and China before deciding that the invitation should be turned down.

“I obviously coordinated with the other members of the E3+3 (six powers) who were invited. My view is that though this is not an invitation that I’m taking a negative view of, it’s not our job, and looking at the sites and establishing what they are requires expertise,” Ashton said, referring to IAEA inspectors.

In an interview published before Ashton’s comments, Iran’s acting foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, said the invitation was meant as a “goodwill gesture.”

“We have invited the ambassadors of the European Union and Non-Aligned Movement (developing countries) entities ... to visit Iran’s nuclear facilities so that the lies propagated by some nonbenevolent countries regarding Iran’s nuclear activities are shown,” Salehi told the ISNA.

Ashton did not say whether she regarded Iran’s invitation as a gambit to divide the six powers but said it would not hinder nuclear talks she is shepherding with the Islamic Republic.

“It is not a roadblock at all. We have the dates for the (next) talks, we begin on the evening of Jan. 20 and have two days, or at least one and a half days, which is extremely positive.”

The talks are scheduled to take place in Istanbul and will be attended by representatives of the six powers, she said.

“I’m looking forward to the talks with Iran, that’s my job. The Iranians have been helpful in supplying the dates and making that work... We’re working now on what we should do in terms of substance.”

Other invitees for the tour included Egypt, Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, Turkey, Algeria and the Arab League, diplomats said. Cuba and Venezuela are allies of Iran, while Turkey and Brazil have tried to mediate in Iran’s standoff with big powers.

Australia, Canada and Japan, all allies of Western powers, were not invited. Iran’s relations with the IAEA director, who is Japanese, have worsened since the leak of a US diplomatic cable saying he shared the US position on key Iran issues.

Meanwhile, talks between world powers and Iran on its nuclear program should resume Jan. 20 in Istanbul, Ashton said Friday. “It’s a tentative date we’re looking at,” Ashton’s spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said. “We have positive feedback from Iran.”

A previous round of talks between Iran and six world powers — Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany — spearheaded by Ashton, took place in Geneva on Dec. 6-7.

That round followed a 14-month hiatus in the discussions.

The upcoming second round of talks in the Turkish city were expected to last one and half days, the spokeswoman added.

Ahmadinejad said in December that the Geneva talks were “very good,” adding “it is time that they (world powers) change the policy of confrontation to engagement.”

Analysts and diplomats said they failed to dissipate distrust between world powers and Iran, but marked the beginning of a new phase of dialogue.