TEHRAN, Aug 21: Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday that Tehran will press on with its nuclear work, suggesting it was heading for a showdown with the UN Security Council which has ordered a freeze.

“The Islamic republic has made up its mind and on the nuclear programme and other issues it will continue on its path with strength, with God’s help,” he was quoted as saying on state television.

Iran is due on Tuesday to formally respond to an offer by major powers proposing a package of incentives in return for a freeze in uranium enrichment, a process that can be developed to make nuclear weapons.

The Security Council has also given Iran until Aug 31 to halt enrichment and reprocessing activities or face possible sanctions.

“Arrogant powers, led by the United States, are fearful of progress of Islamic countries in various dimensions,” Mr Khamenei said.

“Therefore, in the nuclear issue, even though they know Iran is not seeking nuclear weapon, they are piling on the pressure to prevent our scientific progress as an Islamic country.”

“Given the technical progress of Iranian scientists, suspension of uranium is no longer possible under the current circumstances,” the agency’s deputy head, Mohammad Saeedi, was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.

He also said Tehran was planning to start operations at its heavy water plant in Arak which will feed a nuclear reactor under construction.

“The heavy water production plant of Arak will become operational in the near future,” Mr Saeedi said.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed on Sunday for Iran to reply positively to a package of incentives offered by major powers in return for a freeze in uranium enrichment.

“I appeal to the Government of Iran to seize this historic opportunity,” Mr Annan said. “Iran’s reply will, I trust, be positive and that this will be the foundation for a final, negotiated settlement.”

Ahead of the latest flurry of statements from Tehran, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Monday he was to open “further contacts” with Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

“We both agreed on our openness, under the right circumstances, to further contacts with the aim of re-establishing confidence in the purely civilian nature of the Iranian nuclear programme,” he added after a phone call with Larijani.—AFP