Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog will hold talks in Tehran on Tuesday, official media reported, their first since the country missed an August deadline for addressing questions about its suspected atomic bomb research. Diplomats told Reuters last week that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was expected to make a new attempt soon to advance its long-running investigation into Iran's nuclear program. Western officials say Iran must step up cooperation with the IAEA if it wants to reach a broader diplomatic deal with world powers that would end a decade-old nuclear dispute and gradually end crippling financial and other sanctions on the oil producer. Iran's official IRNA news agency said an IAEA delegation would start talks with Iranian officials "to discuss the remaining issues about Iran's peaceful nuclear program". It gave no further details.
On another note, an Iranian defense industry body said two workers were killed in a fire at an explosives factory in an eastern district of Tehran.
An Iranian opposition website, Saham, described the incident as a strong explosion and said it took place near Iran's sprawling Parchin military facility, which is located around 30 km southeast of the capital. It did not give a source for its report, which could not be independently verified. Iran's Defense Industries Organization said the fire broke out on Sunday evening, IRNA said, giving no further detail. Three years ago, Iran said a massive explosion at a military base 45 km (28 miles) west of Tehran killed 17 Revolutionary Guards, including the head of the elite force's missile program. It said the blast was caused by an accident while weapons were being moved. REUTERS