Iran's rulers delivered an uncompromising message yesterday to Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary-general, insisting on their legal right to nuclear power and refusing to suspend uranium enrichment as a precondition for negotiations over their controversial programme.

Led by Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, their populist president, leading figures of the Iranian regime gave little if any hint of movement over their nuclear dispute with the UN Security Council, which had called for enrichment to cease by August 31. They did agree, however, that all aspects of Iran's nuclear programme were open for negotiation, provided there were no preconditions.