EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Monday extra sanctions could be adopted quickly, but that the EU was open to more talks with Iran if it showed it really wanted them.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Iran was ready for talks with Ashton, adding that "a time and venue for such a meeting had not been set yet."
"(Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed) Jalili and Ashton could meet in Turkey," Mehmanparast told a weekly news conference. "We do not see a problem with that."
Ashton told reporters in London that she had had a meeting on Monday with Ahmet Davutoglu, the foreign minister of Turkey, which has sought to mediate in the dispute over Iran's nuclear program.
"The message I've sent back is that I am perfectly prepared to meet and talk with Jalili," she said.
Iran's nuclear weapons capability should be the only issue on the agenda for talks, she said. Ashton would represent the six world powers dealing with Iran over its nuclear program.
"The location can be determined. I'm not worried about that. Wherever it seems most appropriate. If Turkey wishes to host ... that's fine," Ashton said.
However, she understood messages had been sent back by Iran saying "we're not sure what she wants to talk about."
MID-JUNE TARGET
Western diplomats have said mid-June is a target deadline for getting a fourth round of U.N. sanctions on Iran because of its nuclear program, which it says is to generate electricity and not build bombs as the West fears.
Iran has welcomed Turkish and Brazilian mediation efforts to resolve the nuclear dispute, aimed at reviving a stalled fuel deal with major powers.
The deal is seen as a way to remove much of Iran's low-enriched uranium (LEU) stockpile to minimize the risk of this being used for atomic bombs, providing Iran with specially processed fuel to keep its research reactor running.
The deal broke down over Iran's insistence on doing the swap only on its territory, rather than shipping its LEU abroad in advance, and in smaller, phased amounts, meaning no significant cut in a stockpile which grows day by day.
Turkey and Brazil, both non-permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, are opposed to further sanctions against Iran.
But Mehmanparast said Iran had no intention to change its view over the venue for a fuel swap.
"We are ready to resolve the (nuclear) issue through talks ... New formulas have been raised about the exchange of fuel in our talks with Turkey and Brazil," Mehmanparast said.
"The new formula does not cover the venue of fuel exchange. We have always said the swap should take place inside Iran."
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will travel to Iran on May 16, Mehmanparast said.
"They will discuss the nuclear issue and the nuclear fuel deal with Iranian authorities."
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