Iran Says Talks with IAEA Will Continue

Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency whose officials wound up a two-day visit to Tehran on Tuesday are to hold further negotiations, the country's delegate to the U.N. watchdog said.

"The second round of discussions between Iran and the IAEA on bilateral cooperation finished an hour ago in Tehran ... These negotiations will continue in the future," Ali Asghar Soltanieh said, quoted by ISNA news agency.

He said the latest talks were "intensive" and covered "cooperation and mutual understanding between Iran and the IAEA."

A previous IAEA visit to Tehran late last month was inconclusive.

Iran said earlier on Tuesday that it views its nuclear activities as a non-negotiable right, but confirmed they will be discussed in mooted talks with world powers.

"The issue of our country's peaceful nuclear activities will be on the agenda of talks between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent U.N. Security Council members plus Germany)," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said.

"Our main demand is recognition of our right to possess the (nuclear) technology for peaceful purposes," he said. "That right has been achieved, and we don't think there is a negotiable issue regarding our nuclear activities."

Tensions have risen dramatically this year over Iran's nuclear program, which much of the West suspects includes research to develop atomic weapons despite repeated denials by the Islamic republic.