Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi and Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Majid Takht-e-Ravanchi led the Iranian delegation and the US negotiating team is led by US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and Wendy Sherman, the undersecretary of state for political affairs.

The talks are the first round of negotiations between the two sides after nuclear talks in Vienna during which Iran and six world powers agreed to extend a July 20 deadline to reach an agreement on a final nuclear deal on the Islamic Republic's nuclear energy program.

The two sides are said to be going to discuss sticking points over Iran’s civilian nuclear work.

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said on Wednesday that talks between Tehran and the Sextet of world powers over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear energy program may resume sooner than previously speculated.

Araqchi had said earlier this week that representatives of Iran and the Sextet are likely to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York in late September.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the US, France, Britain, Russia and China – plus Germany are seeking to reach a final agreement over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

The negotiating sides clinched a landmark interim deal in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 23, 2013. The agreement took effect on January 20 and expired six months later on July 20.

In July, the two sides agreed on the extension of their discussions until November 24 in an effort to achieve a permanent nuclear deal.

NJF/NJF