HispanicBusiness

Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog on Thursday ended one-day talks in Tehran and decided to resume them in January, the ISNA news agency reported.

The two sides held positive and constructive talks and decided to continue them on January 16 in Tehran, ISNA quoted Iran's envoy at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali-Asghar Soltanieh, as saying.

The two sides resumed talks that the agency hoped would lead to a renewed inspection of the Parchin military site where Western powers fear tests linked to the development of nuclear weapons were carried out.

Iran has refused to grant the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to the site near Tehran and denies allegations that nuclear weapon parts and nuclear explosion simulations were tested there.

IAEA chief inspector Herman Nackaerts said Wednesday before his team flew to Iran that the agency was ready to inspect Parchin.

Iran has also so far rejected new inspections of the site, arguing that it was legally not obliged to open a military site to the IAEA.

Tehran also says that the site had already been inspected in 2005 by the UN agency and no indications of any secret nuclear work were found.

Satellite images taken this year showed that the ground at Parchin had been razed and buildings removed, making it more difficult to find evidence.

Iran says its nuclear programme is peaceful and denies accusations that it is secretly building a nuclear bomb.