DUBAI, Aug 18 (Reuters) -
Iran
will continue talks with the U.N. nuclear watchdog and the two sides
will probably have another round of negotiations in the coming days,
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told state media
on Monday.
International
Atomic Energy Agency inspectors have been unable to access Iran's
nuclear sites since Israel and the U.S. bombed them during a 12-day war
in June, despite IAEA chief Rafael Grossi stating that inspections
remain his top priority.
"We
had talks (with the IAEA) last week. These talks will continue and
there will be another round of talks between Iran and the agency
probably in the coming days," Baghaei said.
Tehran
has accused the IAEA of effectively paving the way for the Israel-U.S.
attacks with a report on May 31 that led the IAEA's 35-nation Board of
Governors to declare Iran in breach of its non-proliferation
obligations.
The
Islamic Republic has long denied Western suspicions of a covert effort
to develop nuclear weapons capability, saying it remains committed to
the Non-Proliferation Treaty that mandates peaceful uses of atomic
energy for signatories.
"The
level of our relations (with the IAEA) has changed after the events
that took place, we do not deny that. However, our relations...remain
direct," Baghaei said during a televised weekly news conference.
Last
month, Iran enacted a law passed by parliament suspending cooperation
with the IAEA. The law stipulates that any future inspections of Iranian
nuclear sites needs approval by Tehran's Supreme National Security
Council.
Reporting by Elwely Elwelly; editing by Hugh Lawson and Mark Heinrich