The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Tehran

Iran and a team from the U.N. nuclear watchdog started a fresh round of talks on Monday in Tehran to resolve doubts about the Islamic Republic's nuclear work, Iranian media reported. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) delegation arrived in Iran's capital on Sunday, less than a week after a U.S. intelligence report said Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003. Iran denies ever having had such a military program but welcomed the report that contradicted the U.S. administration's assertions that Tehran was actively working on a nuclear bomb. "The nuclear negotiations started on Monday morning and will last three days," the semi-official news agency Fars reported. Iran and the U.N. body agreed in August on a timetable to answer outstanding questions about nuclear activities which Tehran says are aimed at generating electricity. Previous rounds of talks dealt with centrifuges used to enrich uranium and other issues.