TEHRAN, April 29: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed on Saturday to never give up Iran’s nuclear drive as western powers pushed for tough Security Council action against the country.

A top Iranian nuclear official, meanwhile, declared that the country’s scientists were working on extremely advanced centrifuge designs to enrich uranium.

“The Islamic republic will not negotiate with anyone on its absolute right to use peaceful nuclear technology. This is our red line and we will never give it up,” the president said in a statement.

“Iran’s decision to master nuclear technology and the production of nuclear fuel is irreversible,” Mr Ahmadinejad said.

He called on western powers to ‘respect Iran’s rights’ and allow the IAEA — and not the United Nations Security Council — to deal with the case.

He also said that “as a nuclear country, the Islamic republic is ready to discuss, alongside other nuclear powers and with all countries, how to assure world peace.”

Iran Atomic Energy Organisation Vice-President Mohammad Saidi said the country was working on extremely advanced centrifuge designs for enrichment.

“But when it comes to which type we will use, we are still examining this. It isn’t the P-2 — there are other devices that are more advanced and that are a part of our work,” he told state television.

He reiterated Iran’s pledge to cooperate more on condition that its case was dealt with by the IAEA and not the Security Council.

“We would accept to remove the worries of certain countries through negotiations,” he said, adding that Iran would even be prepared to allow tougher UN inspections that were stopped after the case went to New York.—AFP