Iran in preliminary talks with IAEA ahead of Vienna meet

Iran began talks on Monday with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, ahead of a UN deadline later this week for Tehran to provide information about the development of detonators that can be used to help set off an atomic device.

The Iran-IAEA meeting took place in Vienna a day before the Islamic republic and six world powers meet today to start a new round of negotiations on a broad diplomatic settlement of the decade-old nuclear dispute.

Reza Najafi, Iran's envoy to the IAEA, made no comment as he arrived shortly after 3 pm Austrian time at the UN agency's Vienna headquarters for Monday's meeting with senior IAEA officials.

Under a transparency and cooperation pact agreed between the two sides in November, Iran was to take seven practical measures by May 15 in a phased process to help allay international concern about its nuclear program.