Iran's top nuclear official said on Tuesday he was not optimistic the Islamic state would accept an proposal from the European Union next month concerning the long-term future of the country's nuclear programme.
"The Europeans have low capability to solve this case. I am not optimistic their proposal will capture Iran's interest," Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, told the semi-official ISNA students news agency.
France, Britain and Germany share US suspicions that Iran's nuclear facilities could be used to make weapons and have been in talks to persuade Tehran to halt all uranium enrichment activities as the only way to allay these concerns. Iran insists its programme is entirely peaceful.
Iran has agreed to freeze some nuclear work while it negotiates a long-term arrangement with the EU three. Talks are due to resume in August.