"Iran is prepared to give all assurances that uranium enrichment activities will never be diverted," Seyev Hossein Mousavian, the chief Iranian negotiator with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in an interview.

"That's why we should have the right for peaceful nuclear technology and that this right should be exercised with no discrimination. That's why dismantlement is out of the question."

Mousavian is in Beijing to drum up support after Tehran was accused by the United States of using a civilian atomic energy programme to secretly develop nuclear weapons.

Mousavian Wednesday denied the US accusations.

"Definitely not," he said, pointing out that Iran has opened all its nuclear sites and even its military sites to international inspectors.

He argued Tehran had done all it could to cooperate and the Americans should not raise additional demands or it could "weaken international conventions."

"Iran has shown transparency for confidence building during the past year. The maximum cooperation has been done," Mousavian said.

He accused Washington of practicing a double standard in the Middle East -- turning a blind eye to Israel's nuclear weapons program.

"We expect the Americans to leave their dual policy in the Middle East and their oppression against Iran," Mousavian said.

The United States has been pressing for the IAEA to refer the matter to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

While Iran vehemently denies the US charges, it agreed a week ago with the so-called "EU Three" to suspend as of Monday all its uranium enrichment-related activities, including making uranium gas and building centrifuges, in order to avoid the UN sanctions threat.

The IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, has a team of inspectors in Iran to verify that Tehran makes good on the agreement.

IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei is to present a report on Iran's compliance to the IAEA governing board when it meets in Vienna on Thursday and has said his team should be able to verify suspension by then.

Mousavian left Beijing Wednesday morning for Vienna, confident that the issue would not be taken up by the UN Security Council.

He had been consulting with close ally Beijing since his arrival in China Tuesday.

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