Iran appoints new nuclear chief

Xinhuanet:

Chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) Gholamreza Aqazadeh has been reappointed by President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported Monday.

In a decree issued on Monday, President Ahmadinejad reappointed Aqazadeh as vice president and director of the IAEO, the report said.

Aqazadeh has been holding the current post since Mohammad Khatami, Ahmadinejad's predecessor, came into power in 1997. READ MORE

With the reappointment, Aqazadeh will continue administering technical matters of the country's nuclear program.

Aqazadeh is another important figure in Iran's nuclear issue, together with Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani who is in charge of the country's nuclear negotiations.

The United States accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the disguise of civil usage, a charge rejected by Tehran.

Iran has been holding talks with the European Union for nearly two years. However, the talks have been stranded recently with Iran's resumption of uranium conversion activities earlier this month.