Isfahan, Iran ? Iran threatened to reopen its nuclear processing plant here Monday but later agreed to a two-day delay after receiving a request from the head of the U.N. atomic watchdog agency.

Ali Agha Mohammadi, spokesman for Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told The Associated Press that International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohammed ElBaradei asked Tehran for a “maximum of two days” to send its inspectors to Iran’s nuclear facility where they can oversee the dismantling of U.N. seals.

But the IAEA denied setting a two-day deadline, saying more time was needed to oversee the plant’s resumption of uranium processing, agency spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said.

Earlier, Mohammadi had said Iranian technicians would break the seals and restart nuclear processing on Monday.

Mohammadi said the combination of restraint and resolve toward restarting uranium processing showed the government’s intention not to squander Iran’s fundamental right to nuclear power, while preserving close ties to Europe.

“Our people were worried that the government may have done a deal with the Europeans and given up the rights of the nation,” Mohammadi told the AP. “We will do the rest of the work in coordination with the Europeans.”