Larijani rejects nuclear freeze ahead of talks

"Suspension is not a logical way to resolve Iran's nuclear issue," Larijani told reporters at a Tehran airport before flying off to Spain for talks with Javier Solana today.

The meetings between Larijani and Solana are central to diplomatic efforts to resolve the nuclear standoff, which has already seen Iran slapped with two sets of UN sanctions for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.

Western powers are now pressing for Iran to face further penalties for its continued defiance over enrichment, the process which can be used both to make nuclear fuel and, in highly purified form, the fissile core of an atomic bomb.

The United States accuses Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, a charge vehemently denied by Tehran, which says it just wants to produce energy.

Iran says it has a right to enrichment for peaceful ends as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The Madrid encounter is the second meeting between Larijani and Solana after April talks in Ankara, which according to the EU foreign policy chief's spokeswoman were "positive in form but not fruitful in substance.

Larijani said on Wednesday that "positive points were discussed in Ankara", describing them as "buds which need to grow on an international level to resolve the issue."

Echoing Tehran's often-heard position, Larijani said Iran "is ready to implement mechanisms to alleviate other countries' concerns over the nature of its nuclear programme.