Iranian media say the European Union's foreign policy chief is urgingIran to hold more talks with the bloc to clarify a few remaining issuesabout its nuclear program.
The Iranian Students News Agency,ISNA, says the EU's Javier Solana made the request in a letter toIran's top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili.
ISNA saysSolana's letter is in response to a letter last month in which Jalilicomplained that Western pressure on Iran has harmed talks about Iran'satomic activities.
Solana and Jalili last discussed Iran's nuclear program in August.
Meanwhile,Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said his nation is convinced Iranis seeking nuclear weapons. He said Israel is not taking any optionoff the table, and recommended that other countries follow its lead.
His comments are widely seen as keeping open the possibility of a preemptive strike against Tehran.
TheUnited States and its Western allies accuse Iran of working to producea nuclear weapon. Iran says its atomic program is intended solely togenerate electricity.
Iran's Fars news agency Friday says asenior Iranian official is calling on U.S. President-elect Barack Obamato lift U.S. sanctions on Iran. Prosecutor General Qorban Ali DorriNajafabadi is quoted as saying ending sanctions would prove Mr. Obama'sgoodwill to the Iranian people.
Iran is under varioussanctions imposed by Washington, as well as three sets of restrictionsplaced by the United Nations Security Council.