Iran says 'no' to nuke program halt

TEHRAN, June 14 (UPI) -- Iranian leaders say they won't negotiate away their uranium enrichment activities in exchange for benefits being offered by Western nations.

Comments from Iranian government spokesman Gholamhossein Elham Saturday appeared to dash the hopes of a contingent of diplomats who came to Tehran prepared to offer an aid package to help the country develop a civil nuclear power program if it agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment, which the United States and others believe is a precursor to developing nuclear weapons.

"If the package includes suspension it is not debatable at all," Elham said, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The top-level delegation is headed by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana and includes diplomats from Britain, Russia, China, France and Germany. They were carrying a letter signed by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and the foreign ministers of the other nations offering to assist the country in building a peaceful nuclear program, the newspaper said.

It quoted an unnamed British official saying Iran would have up to a month to officially respond to the offer, after which the "logical next step" would be to impose more sanctions through the United Nations Security Council.