IAEA delegation arrives in Iran for key nuke talks

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) delegation arrived here on Monday to hold talks with senior Iranian officials to resolve remaining key technical issues over Tehran's nuclear program, Tasnim news agency reported.

Berouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said the talks are aimed at resolving two remaining issues subject to cooperation between Iran and the IAEA.

Iran has already started taking transparency measures within the framework of a deal it signed earlier with the agency, Kamalvandi said, adding that the talks should come to a conclusion and it "cannot be an endless process."

The delegation's visit comes several days after Iran announced that it is ready to allow IAEA inspectors to visit the western Marivan site, where Iran is alleged to have conducted some weapons experiments.

On March 2, Yukiya Amano, head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, said Iran should answer questions about its alleged nuclear weapons program.

"Iran has yet to provide explanations that enable the agency to clarify two outstanding practical measures," he said.

The IAEA and Iran have made no tangible progress in the past months in clarifying some key elements of outstanding issues on Tehran's nuclear plans.

Under an interim deal inked between Iran and the world's major countries in November 2013, Tehran suspended certain nuclear activities in return for limited easing of sanctions, as all sides continue working towards a comprehensive deal.

Western states insist Iran come clean about its alleged nuclear bomb research if it wants to put an end to the decade-old issue. Iran said its nuclear program is peaceful and the allegation is baseless.

The P5+1 group -- namely the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia plus Germany -- are currently engaged in intensive talks with Iran and, for the most part, they rely on IAEA information on Iran's nuclear activities in a run for a comprehensive deal with the country. Endit