IAEA, Iran begin nuclear talks

  The chief inspector of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has arrived in Tehran and started his talks with Iranian officials.

During in the meeting, Olli Heinonen and Iranian nuclear officials, Mohammad Saeedi and Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh, are to discuss the course of future cooperation between Iran and IAEA as well as a technical nature of the country's atomic work.

IAEA deputy director's three-day visit will be part of his monitoring program, ISNA news agency reported on Tuesday, quoting an unnamed Iranian official.

Earlier, deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) Mohammad Saeedi dismissed rumors suggesting Iran has reduced cooperation with the IAEA. He said, Tehran's cooperation with the agency is "continuing based on a mutual understanding."

"Iran's cooperation with the IAEA will go on at the highest level in line with the Safeguards Agreement," Saeedi said.

On Wednesday six world powers negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program agreed they have "no choice" but to prepare new UN sanctions against Tehran if the Islamic Republic continues its uranium enrichment.

The move came after Iran on Tuesday sent a letter to the 5+1 group (the five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council and Germany) demanding additional clarification over their package of proposals in Geneva talks on July 19.

Iran declared that for a clear response to the package, it needed clear answers to its questions.

Iran, however, has vowed to continue dialogue to assert its rights to the peaceful application of nuclear technology as stated under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

DB/RA