New round of negotiations on Iran's nuclear program on January 18

The next round of talks on Iran's nuclear program between representatives of Iran and six world powers will begin on January 18 in Geneva, Tehran's chief negotiator on the issue said on Tuesday.

The deputy head of Iranian diplomacy, Abbas Arakchi, told the official Iranian agency IRNA that the negotiations will be held at the level of deputy foreign ministers, and that the Iranian negotiating team will previously hold bilateral talks with the Russian and US delegations on January 15.

Earlier today, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif briefed parliament dominated by hardliners in an effort to prove progress had been made during the nuclear talks, Reuters reported.

Despite tough questions from MPs opposed to the talks, most of them supported the negotiating team's performance so far.

"Today, no one questions the very process of uranium enrichment in Iran. Negotiations are now being conducted on the scope of enrichment," Zarif said in parliament, reports Reuters.

The US, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China reached a preliminary agreement with Iran in November 2013 that would see Iran suspend its most sensitive nuclear activities.

Western countries have in turn eased some of the economic sanctions imposed during the nuclear dispute lasting more than a decade, Reuters reminds.

The deadline for fulfilling the 2013 agreement has been extended until June 30.