PARIS (AP) – Iran will press ahead on the “tortuous path” to developing civilian nuclear power, an Iranian official said Tuesday, despite U.S. suspicions that the effort masks plans to build nuclear weapons.

Speaking on the final day of a two-day international conference on the future of nuclear power for civilian uses, Mohammad Saeidi said the generation of nuclear electricity is the “prime priority of Iran’s nuclear program.”

“The people and government of Iran are determined to open their way through the tortuous path of peaceful use of nuclear technology despite all imposed restrictions and difficulties,” said Saeidi, the vice president for planning and international affairs at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

France, Germany and Britain are holding talks with Tehran to ensure that it does not develop nuclear arms as some fear. A new meeting was set for today. The United States recently threw its support behind the European effort.

Iran is facing new demands for energy and hopes to leave an increased portion of its sizable oil reserves for export, Saiedi told the conference.

Meanwhile, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said in an interview published Tuesday that a global approach, including normalizing ties between Tehran and the international community, is needed to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Europe and the United States “must give Iran a sense of security so that the Iranians don’t feel the need to acquire nuclear arms,” Mohamed ElBaradei told Le Monde.

“Iran must feel assured that no one is thinking of attacking or provoking regime change,” said ElBaradie, who was present at the conference.

The IAEA chief said he favors a sweeping approach to Iran and the nuclear issue.

“Concerning Iran, we must consider the nuclear question as an element of a global approach,” he said, “aimed at normalizing relations between this country and the international community.”

If talks with the Europeans should fail, the issue could go before the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions against Tehran, something ElBaradei suggested could prove risky.

“I hope we won’t reach the U.N. stage and sanctions,” he was quoted as saying, “because no one knows how a confrontation would end and everyone is the loser.”