Iran will speak to the representative of six world powers today over its disputed nuclear programme but will press ahead with atomic work despite a demand to halt, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said today.
Western officials set an informal deadline of Saturday for Tehran to respond to an offer by world powers to hold off from imposing more UN sanctions on Iran if it froze expansion of its nuclear work.
Iran dismissed the deadline, and its failure to reply by Saturday prompted the United States to say the UN Security Council now had no choice but to increase sanctions. The council has imposed three sets of penalties on Iran since 2006.
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana has been representing the six powers in talks to defuse the row, while Iran is represented by its chief negotiator Saeed Jalili.
"Today, Mr Jalili will talk over the phone with Mr Solana," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said in comments broadcast and translated by Iran's Press TV.
A spokesman for Mr Solana could not confirm the call would take place on Monday but would "watch the situation".
The freeze idea was aimed at getting preliminary talks going, before formal negotiations on a package of nuclear, trade and other incentives start once Tehran suspends uranium enrichment, a process that can have civilian and military uses.
Iran has repeatedly ruled out halting its nuclear work.
"Enrichment is Iran's inalienable right," Mr Qashqavi told the news conference. "When it comes to our inalienable rights, we will press ahead."
Like other Iranian officials he dismissed the idea of a deadline. He also noted opposition to a deadline by Russia, one of the six powers. Moscow said it was against setting a time limit but also called on Iran not to drag its feet.
Russia, along with China, has been more reluctant to impose sanctions in the past but has voted for all three sanctions resolutions. The United States, Britain, France and Germany are the other four powers behind the incentives package.
"When it comes to sanctions, experience shows that, I am sure, it is ineffective, especially when it comes to the nuclear issue," Mr Qashqavi said.
Reuters