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By Parisa Hafezi

TEHRAN, April 23 (Reuters) - Iran will not halt its atomic activities under any circumstances, Iran's president told Reuters on Monday, dashing any hopes Tehran might be persuaded to back down over its disputed nuclear programme.

In an interview two days before Iran and the European Union are due to resume talks on the standoff, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made clear Tehran would not bow to pressure and stop work which the West fears is aimed at making atom bombs.

The timing of his comments and their uncompromising position appeared to run counter to the more conciliatory public tone projected to the West by Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, who will represent Tehran at Wednesday's talks.

But their differences may lie more in style than in substance as Larijani, who lost against Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential election, has also repeatedly dismissed any suggestion of Iran giving up its nuclear ambitions.

Under Iran's system of clerical rule the final say on nuclear policy and other issues rests with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who also opposes any suspension of uranium enrichment. Tehran says it only wants to generate electricity.

Ahmadinejad rejected an EU proposal of a "double suspension" whereby Tehran would halt enrichment in return for a lifting of United Nations sanctions against it to pave the way for broader talks to ease tension.

"Iran has entered the nuclear club and (the West) should accept it," he said in the joint interview with Reuters and an Iranian television station. "There is no reason to go backwards."

His comments appeared to rule out any room for compromise at Wednesday's meeting in Turkey between Larijani and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

"You cannot ask a country to suspend its legal activities in return for a suspension of an illegal (resolution)," he said.

OPEN TO TALKS WITH US

But Ahmadinejad also adopted a softer tone towards the United States saying Tehran was ready for direct talks with Washington "if they abandon their pressures" against the Islamic state.

The two countries have not had diplomatic relations since shortly after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.

"We are ready to hold talks about international issues but in the presence of international media and these talks should be broadcast live," Ahmadinejad said in a joint interview with Reuters and an Iranian television station. "There is a consensus on this issue."

However, the United States has said it will not hold direct talks before Iran suspends sensitive uranium enrichment, which can be used to make nuclear fuel and bombs.

Despite his refusal to back down on the nuclear issue, Ahmadinejad -- known for his hardline position on foreign policy issues -- said he hoped progress could be made at the EU-Iran meeting in Turkey.

It would be Solana's and Larijani's first face-to-face talks since the United Nations slapped new sanctions on Iran in March for its refusal to halt uranium enrichment work.

"The negotiations between Larijani and Solana are very important and will be useful," said Ahmadinejad, whose domestic critics accuse him of pushing Iran towards isolation by his fiery anti-Western rhetoric.

"They can be helpful for reaching a legal and correct solution and for useful and different cooperation."

The United Nations Security Council has imposed two rounds of sanctions against Iran since December. The United States has said it would prefer a diplomatic solution but has not ruled out military action if that fails.

Ahmadinejad said he doubted the United States would attack but that Iran was ready to defend its rights.

"The era of threatening with bombs and missiles is over especially for those who think they can speak with Iran with the language of pressure," he said. "We are not a threat to anyone."

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