Iran said progress was made in talks Thursday, Dec 13 in Tehran with senior UN nuclear inspectors but gave no details other than they would meet again in mid-January, Reuters reported.

There was no immediate comment from the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about the one-day meeting over Iran's disputed nuclear program, and no sign its inspectors would gain access to the Parchin military complex as requested.

The agency believes Iran has conducted explosives tests with possible nuclear applications at Parchin, a sprawling facility southeast of Tehran, and has repeatedly asked for access.

The talks were the first between the UN agency and Iran since August and the outcome could give some indication whether Iran - which denies it wants to develop atom bombs - is any more willing to address international concerns over its nuclear work after U.S. President Barack Obama's re-election last month.

Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh said progress had been made, official media reported, without giving any examples of concrete steps forward.

"Intensive negotiations were held ... There was good progress made. The two sides agreed to hold the next round of talks on January 16 in Tehran," IRNA news agency quoted him as saying.

The UN team was expected to return to Vienna on Friday.