"The Europeans must give their opinion. Of course they have had preliminary reactions. We do not consider that as the definitive answer," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told a news conference.

"In the coming days when (chief nuclear negotiator) Ali Larijani meets (EU foreign policy chief) Javier Solana, the Europeans' answer to our response to the offer will be clarified with more certainty."

The two officials are to meet in Europe next week for talks over Iran's response to an offer of incentives from the five UN Security Council permanent members plus Germany aimed at making Tehran halt uranium enrichment.

Iran has defied Western demands to suspend uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to make nuclear fuel and, in highly extended form, the explosive core of an atomic bomb.

Its rejection of a Thursday deadline to halt enrichment have left it facing a push by the United States for the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Tehran.

"We think dialogue is the only way to reach a solution. Other solutions will be impotent and will yield no results," Asefi said.

"Everything must be sorted out at the negotiating table. We must gather around the table. Everything must come from the upcoming discussions that we will have.

"The next negotiations between Larijani and Solana must take place and we will see what we can do afterwards," he added.

"Sanctions cannot be the focus. We should concentrate on negotiations, the questions of sanctions has been put forward by some Zionist and American circles as psychological warfare and a means for pressure."

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