13 July 2004	Tuesday	24 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

TEHRAN, July 12: Iran ruled out on Monday holding direct talks with the United States on its nuclear programme. "There is no justification for accepting suggestions to hold negotiations with a country which adopts a bullying attitude towards others," Hassan Rohani , secretary-general of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told state television.

Washington accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran says its ambitions are limited to generating electricity from nuclear reactors.

Mohammed ElBaradei, head of the UN nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency, had told US policymakers in March that Iran might be open to a deal and suggested direct US contacts with Tehran, US officials said.

Washington broke ties with Tehran following its Islamic revolution in 1979. Mr Rohani also played down negotiations with Germany, France and Britain and said Iran held talks with them in the past year because the big three European powers initiated the dialogue.

"The other party to the negotiations for us is the International Atomic Energy Agency and we have nothing to do with any other country," he said. -Reuters