PARIS – Iran refused to scrap its uranium enrichment program as it wrapped up the latest talks on its nuclear program with European powers yesterday. But Tehran appeared willing to maintain a temporary freeze on the program that American officials say could be used to make atomic bombs clandestinely.

“There was a constructive and positive climate,” French Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said after negotiators met for seven hours.

The negotiations among France, Germany, England, and Iran were suspended until an unspecified date – an agreement that also extends Iran’s promise to temporarily cease enrichment activities, European diplomats said on condition of anonymity.

In a joint statement yesterday by Iran, France, Britain, and Germany, diplomats said the meetings would hold to an accord reached in Paris in November that specified Iran should voluntarily suspend uranium enrichment during the talks.

But Iranian negotiator Sirous Nasseri said the prospect of a permanent ban on enrichment was “nonexistent,” insisting Iran enjoys the right under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium for use in civilian power production.

In the joint statement, negotiators from all four countries said Iran had presented “certain ideas” on who should provide guarantees that its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes and that the talks had led to an “enhanced relationship” that would set the stage for further progress in later talks.

Iran suspended all uranium enrichment activities last year to try to build confidence in its talks and avoid International Atomic Energy Agency referral to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.

Ali Agha Mohammadi, spokesman of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the country’s top security decision-making body, said earlier yesterday on Iranian state radio that Tehran was ready to pull out of the talks if no progress had been made.