TEHRAN, Jan. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- A top Iranian nuclear official said on Tuesday that Iran would resume work on nuclear fuel research in a few days after a suspension of over two years, state television reported.

    "In a letter, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been informed that Iran will start the research work on the nuclear fuel in a few days," Mohammad Saidi, deputy chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Agency was quoted as saying.

    Saidi said that Iran's resumption of the fuel cycle research would be carried out under the supervision and cooperation of the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog.

    The official did not elaborate on what specific activities would be restarted, saying that Iran voluntarily suspended them two and a half years ago.

    Saidi also said that the activities to be resumed were just related to research and had nothing to do with the actual production, stressing that Iran would keep the suspension on the fuel production.

    "It has nothing to do with the production of nuclear fuel. The two things are different from each other. No decision has been made about the nuclear fuel production," Saidi added.  

    Iran has suspended uranium enrichment since October 2003.  

    However, Tehran resumed uranium conversion activities, a precursor to enrichment, in early August 2004, a move that had stranded the nuclear negotiations with the EU for months.  Enditem