Iranian President Mohammad Khatami has asserted that Iran will not give up its right to get access to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, Xinhua reports.

"Iran has repeatedly told the Europeans that it will not forsake its right to get access to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes," Khatami was quoted as saying after a cabinet meeting Wednesday.

He expressed optimism about the outcome of nuclear talks despite their slow pace, saying Iran was ready to enter dialogue with Europe as well as other countries.

"The Europeans would suffer more than Iran if they decide to succumb to US pressures," the president said.

On President George W. Bush's remarks Tuesday that the US was not ready to attack Iran, Khatami said: "The Americans have now come to realise that they are making unacceptable claims, which persuaded them to regret their remarks."

Dismissing the possibility of a US attack, he indicated that Iran would make the US pay a heavy price for its "crazy behaviour".

"The possibility (of an attack) is very slight, but I'd like to say that the Iranian government and people would make Washington regret its crazy behaviour," Khatami said.

Iran has held three rounds of nuclear talks with the European Union since it suspended its uranium enrichment activities last November. However, the two sides have failed to reach agreements on key issues such as Iran building a nuclear reactor.

Washington has accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons secretly, and threatened to launch pre-emptive strikes and to refer take the case to the UN security council.