Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi underlined that Tehran has answered the two remaining questions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), saying the West's demand for further explanations is politically tainted.

“Western countries attached a political history to our country’s nuclear issue, while we answered all their 18 technical questions,” said Salehi, in a televised program on Saturday.

He further added that the six major world powers are still expecting answers from Iran as they have politicized the issue.

“The Group 5+1 (the US, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany) has announced that there is still room for discussion on two questions. The IAEA has, however, almost accepted all the answers," the Iranian official said.

Salehi underlined that Iran's nuclear issue can be settled through political will.

“Our country’s nuclear issue is not technical and can be resolved only through political will,” he noted.

The 10th round of negotiations between Iran and the six world powers was held in Vienna from November 18 to 24, where the seven nations decided to extend the talks until July after they failed to strike an agreement.

After the 10th round of the Vienna talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU coordinator Catherine Ashton announced that the deadline for negotiations had been extended until July 10, and the world powers had taken up to release $700 million of Iran's frozen assets on a monthly basis.

The first Iran-powers meeting of the new round of talks were held in the Swiss city of Geneva on December 17-18.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and the country's senior negotiator Seyed Abbas Araqchi announced earlier that the next round of nuclear talks between Tehran and the G5+1 would be held at the level of deputy foreign ministers in Geneva, Switzerland, on January 18.

Araqchi said that the talks will be held at the level of deputy foreign ministers and that prior to the negotiations, the Iranian negotiating team would hold bilateral talks with delegations from the US and Russia.

News ID 187477