Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani speaks to journalists during a news conference in Tehran August 6, 2006. -Xinhua/AFP

Chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said yesterday that Iran would continue its nuclear program regardless of a UN resolution asking Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities by Aug. 31.

"They must understand the resolution can not affect our decision, we reject it and will pursue the nuclear rights of Iranian people," Larijani told reporters.

"We will expand nuclear work if we need, it includes all nuclear technology including the string of centrifuges (which are used to enrich uranium)," he said.

"The United Nations has no right to ask Iran to halt enrichment, Iran has not violated any obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), so we will reject the resolution," he said.

Larijani also termed the resolution as "contrary" to a previous six-nation package offered in June, while reiterating that Iran would give a formal response by Aug. 22.

"The package has potential to resolve the nuclear issues, we want to hold talks to remove the ambiguities in it, but they issued a resolution and kill it (the six-nation package). They must explain why they damaged the path of dialogue," said Larijani.

He also accused the United States of acting against the proposed package and trying to deprive Iran's legal right for uranium enrichment activities, saying the world should condemn it and its allies.

Iran has said the country had planned to increase the amount of centrifuges, equipment used to enrich uranium, to 3,000 by 2006, in order to enhance enrichment activity.

The UN Security Council on Monday adopted a resolution by a vote of 14 to 1, urging Tehran to "suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development" by Aug. 31 or face the prospect of sanctions.

Due to insistence of council members such as Russia and China, the resolution dropped the threat of immediate sanctions and required the council to hold further discussions before sanctions are considered.

Iranian officials have recently expressed indignation over the UN demand to halt enrichment activities, warning the United Nations against taking acrimonious measures to force Iran to comply or Iran would quit the NPT and stop cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The United States has accused Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons under a civilian front, a charge categorically denied by Tehran which says that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.