TEHRAN, Feb 21: Iran has rejected an EU call for Tehran to draw up a compromise formula on uranium enrichment, saying it will not "sell out" its nuclear capabilities, a top negotiator said on Monday.

"The Europeans want to get from Iran a total halt to enrichment, but in the face of our strong opposition they insisted in the negotiations that Iran propose an alternative which also covers enrichment," Sirus Nasseri told the state news agency IRNA.

France, Britain and Germany are leading diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to permanently abandon its nuclear enrichment programme in return for a package of political and economic benefits.

The United States has said it believes Iran is using its civilian nuclear programme as cover for a drive to acquire nuclear weapons and is demanding that Iran abandon uranium enrichment activities. "The Europeans are progressively learning that Iran will not sell out on its nuclear capacities," Nasseri said.

"Iran will not propose an alternative until Europe stops asking it to halt enrichment and no longer talks about it," he said, adding that "a final agreement in these negotiations will be based on the resumption of enrichment by Iran." US President George W. Bush said Tehran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. -AFP