Ali Larijani speaks during a press conference in Tehran, Sunday, August 6, 2006

Iran's top nuclear negotiator says his country may react very harshly to a U.N. resolution that demands Tehran suspend nuclear activities by the end of this month or face possible sanctions.

Ali Larijani tells India's The Hindu newspaper in an article published Sunday that Iran will never agree to change its nuclear policies under pressure.

The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution Monday that calls on Iran to stop enriching uranium by August 31 in exchange for international assistance in producing peaceful nuclear energy.

Larijani says the passage of the resolution pressuring Iran has created an atmosphere of mistrust that makes the package of incentives meaningless and useless.

The U.N. Security Council acted after Iran failed to respond to the incentives package offered in June by the Council's five permanent members (the U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China), plus Germany.

The U.S. and its Western allies believe Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP.