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Iran has suspended the enrichment of uranium stockpiles to the 20% purity needed to bring it a short step from building a nuclear device, news services in the region have reported.
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.
Mohammad Hossein Asfari, a member of parliament responsible for foreign policy and national security, was quoted as saying that the move was a "goodwill" gesture, aimed at softening Iran's position before a new round of scheduled talks with the United States after this week's presidential elections.
"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.
Asfari said he hoped sanctions would be lifted in return for Iran's actions, otherwise it would resume the programme, according to a website belonging to the Al Arabiya news channel. Talks aimed at halting Iran's enrichment programme have made little progress, leading to the west tightening sanctions and increasing the prospect of military action by Israel.
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.
The Islamic republic's economy has plummeted in the grip of punitive economic measures and Tehran indicated earlier this month that it would be willing to negotiate. However, the offer to suspend enrichment required so many concessions that it was dismissed by the United States.
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.
Iran has a stockpile of 20% uranium weighing just over 90kg (200lb), according to an International Energy Agency watchdog report in August. Experts say between 200-250kg is needed for one nuclear device. Once uranium reaches 20% purity, it is close to becoming weapons grade. Experts have estimated it would take Iran another year to produce a warhead small enough to put on a missile.
Asafari is a member of the parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy.
Tehran is said to have nearly completed a nuclear enrichment plan with the last of 3,000 uranium centrifuges installed at the underground site of Fordo, near the holy city of Qum.
"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.
The machines were working at only half capacity, but the development was a crucial step in developing a nuclear device, the New York Times reported.
• 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.
Israel has drawn a "red line" in spring next year based on its own calculations, when it could launch a pre-emptive military strike to stop the programme.
Iran has said it needs to refine uranium for civilian use, with the material converted to fuel rods used for medical isotopes to diagnose and treat illnesses.
