TEHRAN -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi on Monday rejected reports that after Geneva talks the world powers gave Iran a two-week deadline to answer their offer of incentives or face further “punitive measures”.

“Negotiations are an ongoing process and the question of deadline is media speculation,” Qashqavi told reporters in his first press conference since he took over as spokesman
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana who is representing six world powers in the nuclear negotiations with Tehran held talks with Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in Geneva on July 19 over settling the nuclear dispute.
Russia, China, the United States, Britain, France, and Germany last month offered Iran an updated package of incentives in return for a halt to Tehran’s uranium enrichment program.
The package, which is a follow-up of an original proposal in 2006, offers nuclear cooperation and wider trade in aircraft, energy, high technology, and agriculture.
The Islamic Republic has also presented its own package of proposals on ways to address international challenges, including the threat of nuclear proliferation, and has said it has found common ground between the two separate packages.
Iran has repeatedly ruled out suspending uranium enrichment as a precondition for talks with the major powers and has said it will hold talks “only on common points”.
The United Nations has so far imposed three rounds of sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
“When it comes to sanctions, experience shows that ... it is ineffective, especially when it comes to the nuclear issue,” said the spokesman.
Jalili, who is also Supreme National Security Council Secretary, held on Monday a telephone conversation with Solana over Tehran’s prolonged nuclear standoff with the West.
Speaking to reporters before the telephone call, Qashqavi said Iran will not discuss the major powers’ demand that it freezes its uranium enrichment work in return for a freeze on sanctions against the country.
“During the (phone) conversation, the freeze-for-freeze issue will not be discussed. Like the last talks (in Geneva), they will only discuss the common points of the two packages.”
“Enrichment is Iran's inalienable right. When it comes to our inalienable rights, we will press ahead” he stressed.
No Turkish mediation
He also denied rumors that Turkey is seeking to mediate between Iran and the European Union in the nuclear dispute.
On his way back from Geneva, Jalili stopped in Ankara and held talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan.
“Apparently after any visit of Iranian officials to different countries, the issue of mediation is raised, but these statements are wrong,” Qashqavi said.
No request for diplomatic office by U.S.
The spokesman dismissed as media speculation reports that the United States plans to set up a diplomatic outpost in Tehran.
“Iranian officials have so far commented on this issue and I am not going to make further remarks about media speculations.”
He asserted that the United States has not submitted any official request for establishing a diplomatic mission in Tehran.
Washington Post had earlier reported that the Bush administration is considering setting up a diplomatic office in Iran in what would mark a dramatic official U.S. return to the country nearly 30 years after the two nations severed relations.
Currently, the U.S. has no diplomatic presence in Iran and relies on the Swiss Embassy in Tehran to pass messages to the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Washington’s behalf and handle the affairs of U.S. citizens in the country.
President Mahmud Ahmadinejad had earlier welcomed the proposal, saying, “We have not yet received any official request in this regard, but Iran had previously proposed starting direct flights between the two countries.