'I think it is a positive sign,' Goldschmidt said of Salehi's appointment.

Tehran later limited the range of the IAEA's probes and restarted its uranium enrichment activities, which the UN Security Council has been unable to stop through sanctions.

Aqazadeh had been a member of government for the past two decades, first as oil minister, and later responsible for nuclear matters.

Although he is considered to be loyal, he does not belong to the camp of the recently reelected president and is said to have connections to opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi.