The recent bilateral talks between Iran and the United States over outstanding sticking points in Tehran's nuclear program were useful, said a senior Iranian nuclear negotiator, according to IRAN Daily report on Saturday.

"The main focus of bilateral talks with the United States in Geneva on Thursday was the existing differences" between Iran and the world powers pertaining to the country's nuclear program, Abbas Araqchi said, adding that Iranian and U.S. delegations also discussed how Tehran and the powers could bridge the differences and reach a common ground in their efforts to ink a permanent nuclear deal.

Tehran is planning to hold a number of one-on-one meetings with other members of the P5+1 group-- namely, the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany -- ahead of the UN General Assembly session in New York late September, said Araqchi, who is also Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs.

Iran and the six powers need to hold "more detailed" talks in the form of bilateral meetings ahead of the next round of their nuclear negotiations, he added.

Under an interim deal reached between Iran and the P5+1 that went into effect on January 20, Iran would suspend some sensitive nuclear activities in exchange for limited sanction relief, and the two sides would negotiate over a comprehensive deal within six months.

After six months of negotiations, Iran and the six world powers agreed on July 19 to extend their talks until Nov. 24, as disagreements remained over Tehran's uranium enrichment capacity, its Arak heavy water reactor and the sanctions following a 16-day negotiations in Vienna. Endi

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