Iran sets out position ahead of nuclear talks

By Fredrik Dahl and Hashem Kalantari

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran signaled on Wednesday it did not plan to make major concessions on its nuclear program at talks this week to be attended by world powers including the United States.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran was ready to negotiate but showed no sign of backing down on the issue at the centre of the dispute -- Iran's refusal to halt atomic activities.

The United States will send a senior envoy, Under Secretary of State William Burns, to Geneva to discuss Tehran's response to an offer of incentives in exchange for suspending uranium enrichment, which the West believes is aimed at making nuclear bombs.

The Bush administration said sending Burns was intended to send a signal to Tehran and others that it wants to find a diplomatic solution to the impasse.

But Washington said it would not join full-blown negotiations unless Iran halts its uranium enrichment program.

"Nothing has changed," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said in Washington. "If they don't accept this offer, one, there will not be negotiations and two, there will be additional sanctions," she said.

Burns will join European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana and envoys from China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany in Saturday's discussions with Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili.

The U.S. government had previously said it would not take part in pre-negotiations with Iran unless it halted enrichment, a demand which Iranian officials have described as a "red line" for Tehran.  Continued...