Special Report: Iran Nuclear Crisis

    TEHRAN, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said on Monday that Tehran would continue its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the state-run Press TV channel reported.

    Iran "will continue to work with the IAEA and to conduct its nuclear activities within the framework of the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and international regulations," Hosseini was quoted as saying at his weekly press briefing.

    He expressed Iran's readiness to hold talks with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- China, Russia, Britain, France and the United States -- plus Germany on issues agreed to by both sides.

    The UN Security Council adopted another resolution last week slapping stronger sanctions to press Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities.

    Last Monday, the 15-member UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1803 with a vote of 14-0. Indonesia abstained from endorsing the document.

    The new sanctions include travel restrictions and bans on more Iranians, an expansion of asset freezes, curbs on dual-use items, export credits, financial monitoring, cargo inspections on aircraft and vessels, and possible "next steps."

    The UN Security Council had previously adopted two resolutions on Iran -- one in December 2006 and the other in March of 2007 --in attempts to force the Gulf country to suspend uranium enrichment activities and to give up its nuclear programs.

    Hosseini also said that talks with the United States are not on the Islamic Republic's present agenda.

    He said the United States should "take major steps towards building confidence and creating new opportunities," but "Washington continues its hostile policy on Tehran and even escalates it."

    He blamed the United States for the two countries' failure to hold a fourth round of talks on Iraq's security, saying Washington cancelled the meeting after Baghdad had sent an invitation.

    An Iranian delegation had arrived in Baghdad last week for possible talks with U.S. officials on March 6. But the delegation went home later that day after talks with the U.S. side was unexpectedly cancelled.

    The two sides have held two ambassador-level talks on the Iraqi security issue in May and July and an expert-level meeting in August of last year. A fourth round scheduled for December has been repeatedly suspended.