A top nuclear official said here Saturday that Washington seems lately to be taking a more down-to-earth approach towards Iran's nuclear program, closer to that of the Europeans.

The head of Iran's negotiating team, Sirous Nasseri, however played down US engagement in the marathon talks between Tehran and the EU trio of Britain, Germany and France, aimed at finding a concrete solution to the ongoing standoff.

"I personally do not see any need for the presence of the Americans at the negotiations and even don't believe it could be helpful," Nasseri told IRNA here.

The official said the United States seems to have started abandoning its threats against Iran, realizing the country's weight in the Middle East.

"We think the Americans are gradually starting to become aware of the realities in the political scene of the region, including the extent and amount of Iran's influence in regional developments, particularly in Afghanistan, Iran and Lebanon.

"The Americans must have come to their sense and realized that there is no possibility of a confrontation with Iran and if they initiate a confrontation, the risks of vulnerability will be high." Nasseri said, "When they started their threats two years ago, the Americans were seeing themselves at the apogee of their power, cherishing sweet dreams and hoping to change the regional situation according to their will.

"But today, the Americans have woken up to their ignorance and at least some sections of the ruling establishment, including its extremists elements, have started to adapt to the realities," Nasseri said.

Washington accuses that Tehran's nuclear energy program is a front to build atomic weapons, a charge the Islamic Republic vehemently denies.

In a dramatic U-turn last month, the United States offered to allow Iran to begin talks on joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) and consider letting it buy civilian airline parts as part of incentives to Tehran over its nuclear cooperation.

Nasseri said Iran was not opposed to the idea of the Europeans coordinating their lines with the United States, but stressed that such a move must not cost Iran any 'either in terms of time or content' of the negotiations.

"It is not unlikely that the Americans ultimately join the Europeans in order to reach a balanced solution or at least don't oppose it, but the Europeans must make their arrangements in such a way that they do not harm the outcome of the negotiations," he said.

Iran has sounded upbeat ahead of the planned nuclear negotiations in Geneva on April 19, which are expected to examine Tehran's proposal to maintain a pilot centrifuge for uranium enrichment on a small scale.

Top nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani will go to the parliament Wednesday to brief MPs on the latest developments in Iran's nuclear dossier, an MP announced here Saturday.

"The secretary of the Supreme National Security Council will attend the parliament session on the MPs' request to brief them on the latest state of the nuclear technology and the negotiations held thus far," Hamid-Reza Haj-Babaei said.

"Parliament deputies will also question Mr. Rowhani about the state of Iran's nuclear dossier and the Islamic Republic's policies in the next meeting with the three European countries," he added.

Nasseri has already said that the two sides will discuss technical matters relating to the principles and the framework of the Islamic Republic's proposal.

The official avoided to make any prediction, saying 'any definite assessment in this regard depends on the provision that we are assured the Europeans are serious in the meetings which will be held over the next two two weeks'.

"Time will definitely be limited and whenever we feel no tangible progress is being made, we will halt negotiations then and there.

"Thus, whether in our official or unofficial sessions, we must be sure that any progress is moving us toward a real, and not a superficial, solution," Nasseri said.

The official, however, stressed that the talks 'are on the right track, leading to a wise, logical and balanced solution satisfactory to both sides'.

The key sticking point is uranium enrichment which Tehran has suspended as a confidence-building gesture since last November, but the country insists that it cannot be cajoled to sustain the suspension for good.

The Europeans have been pressing the Islamic Republic on this in return for a package of incentives. Iran stresses that economic incentives may help improve foreign relations but won't permanently stop Tehran from pursuing a peaceful nuclear program.

President Mohammad Khatami has announced that the two sides have made significant progress in their negotiations.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi has sounded optimistic over chances that the two sides reach a tangible outcome on giving definite guarantees.

"Today, almost a majority of the European countries have recognized Iran's right to having peaceful nuclear technology and the only issue is definite guarantees, on which we will reach a conclusion in the next negotiations," he said Sunday.

Asefi stressed that 'any plan offered by Iran is based on the principle that we never give up uranium enrichment and that the suspension of enrichment is temporary and voluntary'.

Khatami said the two sides have taken steps forward, citing the Europeans' 'very open' reaction to Iran's proposal, particularly that of France.

"I hope that during the April 29 meeting that, thanks to French support, but equally due to the welcome given to the overall plan, we will be able to make even more substantial progress," he said in Paris after meeting with French President Jacques Chirac.

Khatami said the two sides were closer to a settlement over Tehran's right to develop nuclear power.

On Tuesday, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, was quoted as having expressed optimism that he would eventually be able to tell Tehran that it has the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

EU diplomats were quoted as saying that French President Jacques Chirac has been pushing the EU to drop its refusal to consider letting Iran enrich uranium.

"Jacques Chirac ... is the one who's taking the Iranian proposal under consideration," Reuters news agency quoted an EU3 diplomat, adding the French president had the final say on foreign policy matters.

Other EU3 diplomats have confirmed Chirac had urged his negotiators to consider Iran's proposal, it added.