A report from the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran’s compliance with a nuclear agreement it signed last year is expected to be out on Saturday. Iran in July 2015 signed a deal with countries including the United States and Britain, agreeing to reduce its atomic programme, in exchange for relief from economic sanctions imposed on it. Sanctions can only be lifted after the nuclear energy watchdog confirms that Iran has complied with the terms of the agreement.

The lifting of sanctions imposed by the United Nations and western countries will allow billions of dollars back into Iran’s economy and will allow it to be open to world markets again. The economic pressure applied by the world's most powerful countries had driven Iran to sign the deal in July last year. The UN will reimpose sanctions if Iran violates the agreement in the next decade. Some sanctions have been in place since as long back as 1995.

The BBC also reported that a meeting between Iran, US and European Union officials will take place on the matter in Vienna on Saturday. The meeting will be held between US Secretary of State John Kerry, his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.