TEHRAN, Iran – Iran, which has the world’s second-largest oil and natural-gas reserves, rejected a call by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan for America to hold direct talks with the Islamic Republic about its nuclear program.

“The U.S. isn’t prepared to have talks on a one-to-one equal basis,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told a press conference in Tehran today, broadcast on state television.”They are following the politics of threat. So under these conditions we see no necessity to start talks with them.”

Mr. Annan on May 5 said Iran might be more willing to negotiate in direct talks with America, Britain, and France, backed by America proposed a resolution to the U.N. Security Council on May 3 demanding Iran cease uranium enrichment, and said they would seek sanctions should the government in Tehran fail to comply.

Iran won’t accept a resolution that fails to recognize its right to a peaceful nuclear program, Mr. Asefi said today. Should the Security Council adopt the proposed resolution it would decrease Iran’s willingness to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, he said.

Suspension of Iran’s nuclear activities is “definitely not on Iran’s agenda,” Mr. Asefi said.

Senator John McCain praised President Bush yesterday for taking a tough stance with Iran and said America shouldn’t agree to direct talks until Iran renounces its commitment to the extinction of Israel.

“The president has stated clearly he will explore every diplomatic option, but I think that there has to be some kind of glimmer of hope or optimism before we sit down and give them that kind of legitimacy,” the Arizona Republican said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” program.

Mr. McCain said taking the threat of an American military strike off the table would signal to Iran that it was okay to destroy Israel.

Iran reiterated it may quit the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if it faces further international pressure to abandon its nuclear program.

“If the signature of an international treaty threatens the rights of a nation, it will be of no value for that nation,” President Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by state television earlier today.

Article 4 of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons says it is a nation’s “inalienable right” to develop, research, produce and use nuclear energy, provided it is for “peaceful purposes.”

The Security Council meets tomorrow to negotiate changes to the draft proposal, which may be put to a vote this week, Agence France-Presse reported May 6.