Iran not ready to suspend nuclear activities

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad marked the 28th anniversary of Iran's revolution yesterday pledging to pursue the country's nuclear programme but announcing no new atomic work that would have riled the West.

Mr Ahmadinejad, under pressure at home to tone down speeches his critics say have helped push Iran towards international isolation, said he would keep within international regulations but still ruled out a UN demand to suspend uranium enrichment.

Iran has until February 21 to halt uranium enrichment, a process that can make fuel for power stations or, if greatly enriched, material for warheads. A UN sanctions resolution passed in December threatened further measures if Iran refuses.

"We are ready for talks but will not suspend our activities," Mr Ahmadinejad told hundreds of thousands of Iranians in Tehran's Azadi (Freedom) square to mark the 1979 Islamic revolution, saying suspension would be "humiliation".

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, met EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana in Germany yesterday to discuss the row. Dr Solana said after the meeting no deal had been reached but possible solutions were being explored.

The US, which has stepped up pressure on Iran by sending a second aircraft carrier to the Gulf, has been adamant it would not accept anything short of full suspension.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy also said the international community's demand was "exceedingly clear".

"(Iran) can accept what the international community has said and suspend its sensitive nuclear activities and then we would be ready to suspend our sanctions in the United Nations Security Council," he told French radio.

Mr Ahmadinejad said Iran would work within the "regulations and treaties" of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He also told demonstrators waving banners saying "Nuclear energy is our obvious right" that Iran would announce "great" achievements in the days up to April 9, "especially nuclear" developments. He insisted Iran's atomic work was peaceful.

Although often the most vocal, Mr Ahmadinejad is not the most powerful figure in Iran. The final say lies with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has also vowed not to give up Iran's peaceful atomic ambitions.

Dr Solana said he held a "good meeting" with Mr Larijani in Munich and said the Iranian negotiator would continue talks with other Western politicians yesterday.