Iran said it hoped to resume work at a uranium conversion plant by early next week, backtracking from an earlier plan to restart on Wednesday but still rejecting Western appeals to keep the project frozen.
The European Union has warned Iran any resumption of nuclear fuel activities would mean an end to two years of talks on Iran's atomic ambitions. Tehran says it wants only to generate electricity but the West suspects it aims to make nuclear bombs.
If Iran resumes work and the EU declares the talks over, the EU would then back US calls to start a process that could end with the Islamic Republic being referred to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.
Chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani said he had sent a letter to the EU complaining that the bloc was making "unacceptable threats".
"We hope to restart work by the beginning of next week when preparations are complete," he told state television, speaking on the day that Iran's new, conservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took office.
An EU official told Reuters in Brussels the new timeframe was a step in the right direction.
"This is an indication that ties have not been severed and that Iran is interested in learning more about the proposals which the EU3 have to make," he said.
Rohani said he would probably not remain Iran's top negotiator under Ahmadinejad, but that his successor would not change Iran's nuclear policies.
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