"Iran welcomes dialogue under just conditions, but we won't give up our nuclear rights," Mottaki reiterated.

Mottaki's remarks were the first direct reaction from top Iranian officials to a proposal by the United States that it is willing to join the European countries in direct talks with Iran over Iran's disputed nuclear issue as long as Tehran halts enrichment.

"We won't negotiate about the Iranian nation's natural nuclear rights but we are prepared, within a defined, just framework and without any discrimination, to hold a dialogue about common concerns," Mottaki said.

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the United States would come to the negotiating table as soon as Iran fully and verifiably suspends its enrichment and reprocessing activities.

But Mottaki said that Rice's statements did not give a "new and logical solution to resolve the nuclear issue.""The Americans should change their mind and apply logical behavior toward the issue," he added.

The top Iranian diplomat also said that there was no evidence that Iran's enrichment activity had deviated from peaceful aims so Iran would continue enriching uranium.

The United States and the European countries suspect that Iran is using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to produce nuclear weapons.

But Tehran has repeatedly denied the charge, saying its nuclear program is merely to generate electricity, not bombs.

Five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain,China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany, are currently meeting in Vienna over a new European package of incentives if Tehran suspends uranium enrichment and possible sanctions if it continues.

Iran has repeatedly said that it will not give up its right under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel for power plant.

In April, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that Iran had enriched uranium with 3.5 percent purity, a level needed for power plant fuel.

Iran plans to start large-scale uranium enrichment involving 3,000 centrifuges by late 2006 and then expand the program to 54,000 centrifuges, he added.

Ties between Iran and the U.S. remain frozen since Washington severed diplomatic relations with Tehran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.