TEHERAN - PRESIDENT Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday Iran would not hold talks outside the UN atomic watchdog over its nuclear programme, after the Security Council urged Tehran to resume dialogue with the European Union.

'Iran will not negotiate with anyone with regard to its nuclear issue,' Mr Ahmadinejad said after a cabinet meeting, according to state news agency IRNA.

'From now on, the nuclear issue of Iran will be only in the UN nuclear agency and in the framework of mutual commitments and nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT),' he added.