President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday stressed that Iran would not negotiate on its basic rights and urged the West to climb down from its "ivory towers" if it wants to hold nuclear talks.

"We have said several times that the Iranians will not negotiate with anyone over their basic rights," the hardline leader said in a speech in the northern city of Qazvin broadcast live on state television.

Ahmadinejad said the new round of talks must be held on an "equal footing" and be aimed at solving global issues.

"We have said that the talks be based on justice and respect. That means you have to climb down from your ivory towers and arrogance," he said in remarks directed at the West.

"Any hand which is extended with honesty will be shaken by Iranians, but if that hand is extended with deception and conspiracy, Iranians will cut it off, as always," he said to a cheering crowd shouting "Death to America!"

His latest salvo comes ahead of expected talks between Iran and the six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany -- over Tehran's controversial nuclear programme.

On Tuesday, Iran informed the six powers that it was ready for talks with them on November 23 or December 5 in Istanbul, according to a European diplomat.

The European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the six powers, had last month proposed that the talks be held from November 15 in Vienna where the UN nuclear watchdog is based.

The talks are aimed at allaying Western concerns that Iran is making atomic weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear programme. Tehran denies the charge.

Iran has repeatedly argued that as a member of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it has the right to pursue "peaceful nuclear technology" for which it has begun sensitive uranium enrichment work.

The West wants Iran to abandon the enrichment drive and has so far backed four sets of UN sanctions against the Islamic republic.

Ahmadinejad reiterated that during the talks, the world powers must respond to three conditions previously laid down by Iran.

Tehran says the talks must be based on "engagement and cooperation," that world powers must not resort to threats and pressure and that the issue of arch-foe Israel's nuclear arsenal must be up for discussion.

"If you don't give your view (on these conditions), we will determine your response ourselves and talk with you based on your past behaviour," Ahmadinejad said.

"If God forbid some of you still have that ugly colonialist attitude and selfishness, they should know that the response of Iranians will be what it has been so far."

Despite the UN sanctions and unilateral punitive measures by several countries, including the United States, Iran has defiantly pursued its nuclear programme under Ahmadinejad's presidency.

The Islamic republic has raised its uranium enrichment levels to 20 percent since February, a move which has further infuriated the West.

Enriching uranium is the most controversial part of Tehran's atomic drive as the refined material can be used to power nuclear reactors as well as to make weapons.