Move reported as gesture of goodwill before negotiations with US over nuclear programme next week was down to 'misquote'

This article is more than 7 years old

This article is more than 7 years old

Iran's state media has denied reports that Tehran had suspended the enrichment of uranium at 20% in a goodwill gesture ahead of talks with the world's major powers.

"Twenty percent uranium enrichment activities continue as before and no change has happened," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted an unnamed source as saying on Sunday.

On Saturday night, Iranian MP Mohammad Hassan Asafari was misquoted by opposition websites and the Saudi-owned al-Arabiya as saying that Tehran had already stopped 20% enrichment. Asafari had only signalled in his comments to Iran's Isna news agency that Iran would be ready to temporarily stop enrichment to 20% if sanctions were lifted.

Asafari on Sunday stepped forward to clarify. "The 20% enrichment has not been and will not be halted in Iran," he insisted, according to the website of the state's English-language television, Press TV.

Asafari is a member of the parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy.

"Yet … as announced previously, Tehran is ready to temporarily supply its need for 20%-enriched uranium for its 5-megawatt Tehran [Research] Reactor from abroad if the sanctions are lifted," he said.

• This article was corrected on 4 November 2012. An earlier version of this story ran with the headline "Iran suspends uranium enrichment" based on Asafari's quotes as reported by al-Arabiya.