The UN nuclear watchdog agency on Wednesday once again urged Iran not to resume nuclear activities before an international monitoring system is in place.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has "made it clear that we need until the middle of next week to get our surveillance equipment in place before any seals could be cut and nuclear activities started," IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said in a statement.

"The agency calls on Iran again not to start any activities in Isfahan before the IAEA inspection system is in place," Fleming said.

She said surveillance equipment is being shipped this week from Vienna to Iran.

The spokeswoman was responding to an announcement from Tehran early on Wednesday stating that Iran hoped to resume some nuclear activities at Isfahan.

"We hope that the seals on Isfahan uranium conversion facility can be removed later in the day," Ali Afhamohammadi, spokesman for Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told reporters.

Iran on Monday reacted to the European Union (EU)'s failure to issue it's long awaited nuclear proposal by the agreed-upon Aug. 1 deadline by saying that it would take measures to resume its nuclear activities.

The IAEA, the EU, and the United States have urged Iran not to resume nuclear activities and to come back to negotiations.

The EU and the United States have warned the resumption could trigger the referral of Iran's nuclear case to the UN Security Council.

But Iran stressed it is willing to continue negotiations and the resumption of nuclear activity did not imply any break in its commitments.

Source: Xinhua