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Transcript by Newsy: http://www.youtube.com/user/NewsyWorld?feature=guide (Image Source: CNTV) BY MATTHEW PICHT Is Iran willing to negotiate its nuclear program? The director-general of the UN's nuclear watchdog group, seems to think so. Yukiya Amano emerged from a weekend visit to Tehran optimistic about proposed cooperation between Iran and the UN. Al Jazeera reports... "Speaking to reporters at Vienna airport, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said his trip to Tehran saw progress on a stalemate that has lasted for a number of years." Amano says he reached an agreement with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, and he expects to sign a deal with Jalili soon. The announcement comes just before the second round of talks between Iran and six major UN countries, including the U.S. Writing for The Hill — international affairs expert Terri Lodge is optimistic about what these negotiations can accomplish. "This meeting has the potential to actually accomplish something tangible... Even agreements to discuss additional IAEA inspections or small confidence building measures would mark a successful conference." For its part, Iran wants relief from harsh international sanctions, which have crippled Iran's economy. The BBC says it's these censures, more than anything else, that have driven Iran to bargaining. "The sanctions, especially the oil embargo, have been squeezing Iran to an unprecedented level." Iran's cooperation with the IAEA is a positive sign for the upcoming negotiations. An anonymous analyst told the Christian Science Monitor... "If the positive signals are genuine ... and Iran is not asked to give up enrichment altogether -- then a deal is possible 'that makes everybody happy.'" But skeptics point out nothing between Iran and the IAEA is on paper yet. The vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council, told Fox News Iran's cooperation might be a ploy to influence the upcoming negotiations. "The Iranians are trying to trumpet some progress in terms of cooperation with the UN in advance of the nuclear talks, in a way to set the stage where they could argue that sanctions should be reduced, that the international community really doesn't have anything to worry about." Further complicating matters, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the UN coalition not to make any concessions to Iran, calling for a complete halt to Iranian nuclear development.