TEHRAN, March 1: Iran's foreign minister said on Tuesday his country was determined to resume uranium enrichment activities so it could fuel an ambitious atomic energy programme , despite international pressure for it to abandon the sensitive work.

Kamal Kharazi was also quoted by the student news agency ISNA as saying he believed the Americans were 'intelligent enough' not to attack his country, accused by Washington of using the drive as a cover for weapons development.

He said the main focus of Iran's negotiations with the European Union was 'the recognition of Iran's legitimate right to master nuclear technology, notably the production of fuel ... for 20 stations of 1,000 megawatts'.

Britain, France and Germany have been trying to persuade Tehran to permanently abandon its capacity to produce enriched uranium - which can be directed to both civil and military uses - in return for a package of incentives.

The diplomatic effort is aimed at securing 'objective guarantees' that Iran would not produce nuclear weapons. "We have mastered the technology, so the Europeans know that they cannot employ the language of force," said Kharazi, who was speaking on the sidelines of a conference entitled Persian Gulf Security and Cooperation.

He said that unlike the Europeans, he wanted to see 'a formula whereby Iran can continue to enrich, and in cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), give the guarantees that it is not heading towards a nuclear weapon. -AFP