The European Union says top EU and Iranian representatives will "soon" hold talks on restarting the stalled negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program.

Spokesman Michael Mann said Thursday that EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will discuss the matter with chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili.

Mann says it "will happen soon, but we don't yet have the date."

Ashton's deputy Helga Schmid held talks Tuesday in Istanbul with Ali Bagheri, Iran's deputy nuclear negotiator, to pave the way for another high-level meeting.

The U.S. and other world powers want Iran to curb nuclear enrichment, which can produce nuclear warhead material, but Iran says its nuclear program is designed solely for peaceful purposes.

Recent high-level talks have failed to narrow those differences, and Iran faces intensified international sanctions over its program.