VIENNA: Iran is taking further action to comply with the terms of an extended interim agreement with six world powers over its disputed atomic activities, a UN nuclear watchdog report showed on Friday.

The findings in a monthly update by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) — though no major surprise — may be seen as positive by the West as negotiations resumed in New York this week on ending the decade-old nuclear stand-off.

The IAEA document made clear that Iran is continuing to meet its commitments under the preliminary accord that it reached with the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia late last year and that took effect in January.

In addition, as agreed when the deal was extended by four months in July, it is using some of its higher-grade enriched uranium in oxide form to produce fuel — a step that experts say would make it more difficult to use the material for any bombs.

Published in Dawn, September 20th , 2014