"These two countries have officially and in diplomatic talks told us they are against sanctions and military attacks," Mottaki told the hardline Tehran daily Kayhan as envoys of the main world powers gathered in Paris to discuss their next move.

"There is a very wrong assumption held by some that the West can do anything it wants through the Security Council," he said alluding to the veto powers wielded by both Beijing and Moscow

"A practical and comprehensive diplomacy at this point is to heed these differences and use them properly."

Mottaki retierated that there was no question of Iran returning to a freeze of its uranium enrichment work as demanded by the international community, even temporarily.

"Absolutely not. We will not return to suspension," he said when asked about the possibility.

On Friday, the UN nuclear watchdog reported that Iran had failed to respect a Security Council deadline to halt sensitive nuclear fuel work.

Monday's meeting in Paris was the first for representatives of Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States since the watchdog's report.

The United States, backed by Britain and France, is pushing for a hard line against Iran, up to and including sanctions. It fears Tehran is trying to develop a nuclear arsenal under cover of an atomic energy programme.

But Russia and China, which have close trade ties with Iran, have expressed strong opposition to sanctions and are seeking more diplomatic ways to make Iran comply with the international community's demands.

US President George W. Bush telephoned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin Monday to stress "the importance of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons," his spokesman said.

Iran, for its part, has written to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to complain about the reported threat of a US attack with or without UN approval.

Bush has declined to rule out a resort to military action if diplomatic efforts fail.