United Nations:: The chief of the UN's nuclear watchdog is holding talks in Iran as Tehran refused to back down over a uranium enrichment program that has sparked international criticism.
Mohamed ElBaradei of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who was due to meet with senior Iranian officials on a 24-hour visit Thursday, said Iran's nuclear program should be suspended until certain issues are "clarified".
"I'm also going to discuss how we can bring Iran in line with the request of the international community," he said.
But Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country would step up its uranium enrichment, insisting the nuclear program was for peaceful purposes.
"The answer to the conflict is now within the camp of the enemies of the Iranian people, and we have no conflict because the Iranian people are strong and unified," he said.
In another development, China announced it was sending a senior envoy to Iran and Russia to urge restraint in a standoff with the West.
China, a council member, which receives much of its oil from Iran, has opposed the use of economic sanctions or military action against Iran in favor of diplomacy.
Ahmadinejad, who is not expected to meet the UN envoy, said Wednesday that Iran now considers itself a nuclear nation.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said it is "time for action" on international demands for Iran to cease its uranium enrichment activities.
"When the Security Council reconvenes, I think it will be time for action," Rice said. "We can't let this continue."
Rice did not elaborate on what type of action the Security Council should take, but senior State Department officials said it could include a move to impose a travel ban against Iranian officials and freezing assets of the regime.
The latter is already in effect in the US, but a UN resolution would mean all 185 UN members would have to also freeze assets of the Iranian regime.
In Tehran, meanwhile, the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said Iran must meet demands to suspend its nuclear program.
"The time is right for a political solution, and the way is negotiations," said Mohamed ElBaradei of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"I would like to see Iran come to terms with the requests of the international community."
He further said the purpose of his trip is "to clarify remaining outstanding issues on the nature of the Iranian program".
Iran said Tuesday it had enriched uranium at a level of concentration high enough to operate a nuclear power plant, defying last month's U.N. Security Council presidential statement calling for Tehran to suspend the program.
IAEA inspectors are at a facility in Natanz, Iran, but it is unclear whether they witnessed the enrichment process, which took place Sunday. (Uranium enrichment explainer)
Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of Iran's atomic energy agency, said Natanz had used an array of 164 centrifuges to enrich uranium at 3.5 per cent -- a low-grade level sufficient to run a power plant but far below the 90 per cent required for weapons.
On Wednesday, Iran's deputy nuclear chief said his country intends to increase production at Natanz to the facility's full capacity of 54,000 centrifuges.
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