"The trend of installing centrifuges could be slowed down or gain momentum, this is a executive issue, but no-one should expect that we will give up our rights, and we will not halt the trend," Ahmadinejad said.

His comments came after Olli Heinonen, the deputy head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, arrived in Tehran in a bid to shape a plan to resolve "outstanding issues" over Iran's nuclear programme.

"We have seen a fairly slow development in commissioning new cascades," UN chief Mohamed ElBaradei told reporters on Monday, referring to the installation of centrifuges which enrich uranium into fuel for civilian reactors or, in a highly refined state, nuclear bomb material.

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