Tehran says it won't stop nuclear work, talks to EU

Tehran: Iran and the representative of six world powers talked by telephone on Monday over Tehran's disputed nuclear program but the Islamic Republic said it would press ahead despite a demand to halt the work.

Western officials had set an informal deadline of last Saturday for Tehran to respond to an offer by the powers to refrain from imposing more UN sanctions on Iran if it froze expansion of its nuclear work.

Shortly before the call between Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, an Iranian official said Iran would not discuss the freeze idea.

The West fears the program is aimed at building bombs.

The United States said after Iran missed Saturday's deadline that the UN Security Council had no choice but to expand sanctions. Iran says it was never given any ultimatum.