DUBAI, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud

Ahmadinejad said on Sunday Tehran would not negotiate about its

disputed nuclear programme under pressure, but would talk to its

adversaries if they stopped 'pointing the gun'.

In a speech to mark the 34th anniversary of the Islamic

revolution, Ahmadinejad struck a more conciliatory tone than

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who on Feb. 7 rebuffed a

U.S. call for direct negotiations on disputes between the two

countries.

Ahmadinejad does not have the authority to authorise

negotiations over the nuclear programme, which lies with

Khamenei.

'You cannot point a gun at the Iranian nation and then

expect them to have negotiations with you,' Ahmadinejad said,

speaking to a crowd gathered in Tehran's Azadi (Freedom) Square.

His speech, which partly dealt with Iran's policy towards

its 'enemies', was carried live on Iranian state television.

'Talks should not be used as a lever to impose one's

opinions.... If you stop pointing the gun at the Iranian nation,

I will negotiate (with you) myself,' he added.

The U.S. and some of its allies suspect Iran may be trying

to develop atomic weapons capability under the cover of a

civilian nuclear energy programme, a charge Iran has denied.

Many believe no nuclear deal is possible without a

U.S.-Iranian thaw, requiring direct talks addressing myriad

sources of mutual mistrust and hostility lingering since Iran's

1979 Islamic Revolution and the hostage crisis at the U.S.

embassy in Tehran.

On the nuclear dispute, Iran has agreed to a new round of

talks with world powers in Kazakhstan on Feb. 26.

ENEMIES 'WILL NOT SUCCEED'

Tehran is seeking the lifting of sanctions that have slashed

oil exports and helped reduce the value of the Iranian rial by

about half in the last year, contributing to higher inflation

and weakened purchasing power for ordinary Iranians.

Iranians bearing banners saying 'Down With U.S.A.' and 'We

are standing until the end' gathered at state-organised mass

demonstrations in the capital Tehran and other major cities to

mark the anniversary of the ousting of a Western-friendly

monarchy in favour of clerical leadership.

Ahmadinejad did not address the specifics of Iran's nuclear

programme, or of the planned talks, in his speech on Sunday. He

said that Iran would counter the sanctions by increasing its

non-oil exports and weaning itself off crude revenues.

'Today the enemies are trying their utmost to put pressure

on the Iranian nation to stop its progress but they will not

succeed,' he said.

Last week, the U.S. implemented a measure meant to 'lock up'

Iranian oil revenues by requiring them to be credited to

accounts in countries that buy Iranian crude.

Supreme leader Khamenei on Thursday slapped down an offer of

direct negotiations with the United States, saying negotiations

and pressure were incompatible.

Khamenei was believed to have been replying to remarks by

Vice President Joe Biden, who said in a speech in Germany on

Feb. 2 that the United States was ready to hold direct talks

with Iran if it was serious about negotiations.

(Reporting By Yeganeh Torbati, Editing by William Maclean and

Andrew Heavens)

((yeganeh.torbati@thomsonreuters.com)(+971 50 698 8495)(Reuters

Messaging: yeganeh.torbati.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: IRAN REVOLUTION

(For an interactive timeline on Iran's nuclear programme, click on http://link.reuters.com/gad76r)

COPYRIGHT

Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. All rights reserved.

The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.