TEHRAN, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Iran said Wednesday that there is no obstacle for legal inspections of its nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the official IRNA news agency reported.

    IAEA's inspections of the nuclear facilities are based on Iran's legal commitments, deputy chief of the country's Atomic Energy Organization Mohammad Saeedi told IRNA.

    His remarks came just after a confidential report of the international nuclear watchdog saying that Iran has expanded its uranium enrichment activities in defiance of UN demands to scrap its nuclear-related programs.

    The report from Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the IAEA, also expressed concern about its "deteriorating" understanding of unexplored aspects of the program.

    The report, which was posted on the IAEA internal website, blamed Iran for blocking IAEA efforts to probe its nuclear activities. It was handed over to the UN Security Council president for distribution among its members.

    Saeedi also defended Iran's move earlier this year when it decided to limit its cooperation with the IAEA after the UN Security Council imposed new sanctions against the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

    "The main reason for suspension of subsidiary arrangements ... were the countries proposing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions against the Islamic Republic," Saeedi was quoted as saying.

    Iran had accepted the subsidiary arrangements of the safeguards within Iran's cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog agency in 2002 and thereby it had "promptly informed" the IAEA of any decision to build new nuclear facilities.

    By limiting its cooperation with the IAEA on these agreements, Iran would no longer inform the IAEA of new installations until six months before they are brought into service.

    The UN Security Council unanimously adopted on March 24 a new resolution with tougher sanctions to pressure Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities.

    Iran has refused to heed the Security Council's demand, insisting that its nuclear programs are for peaceful purposes only.

    The United States and some other Western countries have accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of its civilian nuclear programs.