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Iran headed into new talks with world powers on its nuclear programme vowing to step up uranium enrichment if it does not get what it wants from the negotiations.
Iran is to hold talks at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on a proposal for Russia and France to enrich fuel for a research reactor. This would require Iran to hand over the uranium which many western nations say is being built up to develop a nuclear bomb.
But before the talks with France, Russia, the United States and IAEA officials, Iran said it would carry on enriching uranium no matter what happens in Vienna.
Iran Atomic Energy Organisation spokesman Ali Shirzadian said the country will keep on enriching uranium up to the five percent level, the official IRNA news agency reported.
"But if the negotiations do not yield the desired results, Iran will start enriching uranium to the 20 percent level for its Tehran reactor. It will never give up this right," the spokesman added.
Shirzadian said the third-party enrichment deal was a "test" for world powers. "This issue is a test for the Western powers to show how honest they are in their commitments," he said.
The talks, which begin at 3:00 pm (1300 GMT), are the latest attempt by the international powers to restrict Iran's nuclear drive. The UN Security Council has already imposed three rounds of sanctions on Iran for refusing to stop its enrichment.
