Kamal Kharazi said, however, that the start of the talks which opened on Monday in Brussels augured well because of their seriousness and "determination to reach an agreement."

Monday's talks were focused on giving Tehran the trade, technology and security rewards in return for suspending the nuclear activities under an agreement struck last month in Paris.

"We hope they go to quickly and work seriously in this phase of discussion," Kharazi said at a joint press conference with visiting South African counterpart Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in Tehran.

He mentioned several times a forecast of three months for an agreement, a timeframe questioned by the European side.

"If the talks have been positive and we have obtained that to which we have the right, we will continue. IF we have wasted our time, we will take our decision," he added.

Iran's top nuclear official Hassan Rowhani warned on Sunday that Iran reserved the right to break off talks at any time if they did not progress.

Rowhani, speaking on Monday after his first talks with the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain, said he hoped they presaged a "new chapter, not only with the three European countries, but with Europe as a whole."

"If the two sides pursue these negotiations in good faith I think the two sides will arrive at a new stage," he told reporters.

But the way ahead is fraught with difficulties since Iran says its suspension of uranium enrichment, a key step in making nuclear fuel, is a temporary measure designed to show its intentions are peaceful.

The European Union negotiators, Britain, France and Germany, want the freeze to become permanent.

In addition, Iran's government spokesman Abdollah Ramazanzadeh said on Monday that Tehran was also sticking to its demand that 20 centrifuges -- the machines used to enrich uranium -- be exempted from its current suspension of enrichment activities and be used for "research".

"The question of halting research is not on the agenda," he said.

The United States charges that Iran is using the Paris agreement to gain time to enable it secretly to develop nuclear weapons, a charge strongly denied by Tehran.

"There is no question of the Americans joining in the discussion," Kharazi said.

"The condition for us to hold talks with the Americans, on any subject whatever, is that it be in mutual respect and on an equal footing," he said.

"Upto this day, the dignity and wisdom of the Islamic republic do not allow us to have talks with that country."

The South African minister also questioned the charges levelled by Washington over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"I don't think anyone has been able to prove that Iran seeks nuclear weapons, even allegations (only) say Iran might be wanting to do that in the future," he said.

"I think those allegations are fuelled by the geopolitical situation in the region. South Africa has stood by the principle of the board and made sure we defend Iran's right for the use of nuclear technology peacefully."

Dlamini-Zuma said South Africans also "reserve the right for nuclear technology" while believing in a world free of nuclear weapons.

He urged Iran to work with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, "so that everything becomes transparent and show that those allegations are not true."

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