Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili

Iran's top national security official held talks Monday with the acting secretary of Russia's National Security Council aimed to defuse international concerns about Tehran's nuclear program.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, said his talks with Russia's Valentin Sobolev focused on what he called a package of "serious" Iranian proposals designed to minimize the nuclear threat around the world.

Jalili did not disclose details about the package.

He said Iran is ready for talks with world powers, but that such discussions must respect the Islamic Republic's growing role as a regional power.

Russia has has been a key ally with Iran in its nuclear standoff with the West.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's top investigator arrived in Tehran today for talks the IAEA says will focus on allegations Iran has researched how to make nuclear weapons.

Olli Heinonen is scheduled to begin three days of negotiations Monday. He held talks in Tehran last week as well.

Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, insists that Heinonen's visits are part of Tehran's routine cooperation with the U.N. nuclear agency. Soltanieh heads the Iranian delegation in the talks.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.