Update: Iran says technical ways helpful in removing obstacles in nuclear talks

Technical problems over Iran's nuclear program were removed in the talks between Iran and the United Sates, head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali-Akbar Salehi said Saturday.

"We had faced a kind of deadlock in the negotiations over the technical issues," Salehi told state IRIB TV, adding that however, in the last two rounds of negotiations, "talks were very useful and we took good steps."

He did not spell out the details of the talks over the technical issues, but he said "we proposed some technical ways to help remove the other party's concerns."

The uranium enrichment activities of Iran, Arak heavy water plant, research and development activities of Iran in nuclear field and underground Fordow uranium enrichment facilities were on the agenda of the talks between Iran and the U.S., Salehi said.

Arak heavy water reactor will undergo some changes but "will remain a heavy water plant," he said.

This was one of the technical challenges in the talks and the other party agreed with Iran's suggestion for the modifications in the reactor which was aimed to alleviate their concerns over the performance of the plant.

In the next meeting, which is scheduled for March 15, the discussions over Fordow facilities and research and development activities of Iran in nuclear area will continue, said Salehi, who is also the vice president.

Iran has come up with "very reasonable and logical proposals" in this regard, he said.

"The principle that we are following is to preserve the identity of nuclear industry and the forward move in the area," he said, adding that "therefore, we do not accept obstruction in this industry as we are advancing."

The Iranian delegation to the talks has been able to defend the national interests and the nuclear rights of the country as well as the achievements of the nuclear industry, he said.

Earlier this month, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said that his country was ready to show further transparency concerning its nuclear program but did not accept conditions beyond that.

Salehi and U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz joined the recent high level nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S. in Switzerland to discuss the technical details along with other issues relevant to Iran's nuclear program.

Following the Feb. 22 talks in Geneva, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also held a three-day discussion with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad-Javad Zarif in Montreux earlier this week.

Both sides said that there was progress in the talks but some differences still remained over some issues.

On Saturday, Salehi expressed hope that in the next round of meeting before the end of March the could find some solutions for the remaining issues.

Under an interim deal inked in November 2013, Iran said it would suspend critical nuclear activities in return for a limited ease of sanctions.

After missing self-imposed deadlines twice, the negotiators agreed in November 2014 to extend the deadline for another seven months, hoping to reach a deal, which could be one of the most important and divisive international agreements in decades. Endit