Related: Iran threatens to end diplomacy if referred to UNSC

             Iran threatens to halt co-op if nuclear case referred

             Iran says it has begun enrichment-related research: IAEA

Iran's top nuclear Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (R) gestures as he leaves the tomb of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, in Tehran, Iran January 31, 2006. (Photo: Xinhua)

    TEHRAN, Jan. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Iran on Tuesday threatened that it would adopt immediate retaliating moves, including ceasing the admission to snap inspections, if the countries case was referred to the UN Security Council.

    "Referring or reporting Iran's dossier to the UN Security Council will be unconstructive and the end of diplomacy," chief nuclear negotiator Larijani was quoted by Iran's state television as saying.

    Larijani said that Iran still holds that the nuclear dispute can be solved through diplomatic ways, urging the five permanent members of the Security Council, namely the United States, Russia,Britain, France and China, and Germany not to refer the case.

    Later, he said that Iran would have to restart all voluntarily suspended nuclear work and stop the implementation of the additional protocol of the Non-Proliferation Treaty according to a law passed late last year by the Parliament.

    Iran defines the suspension of uranium enrichment and the implementation of the additional protocol of the NPT, which allows UN watchdog to carry out snap inspections on its nuclear facilities, as voluntary measures to build confidence.

    On late Monday, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China - and Germany agreed at a London meeting that a coming International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board meeting should report its decision on the steps required of Iran over its nuclear case to the Security Council.

    It was also decided that the UN Security Council should not postpone action until the IAEA board of governors meeting in March.

    On Tuesday evening, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told state television that the referral would certainly ruin Iran's implementation of the additional protocol, announcing that the snap inspections would be prohibited on Saturday, two days after the upcoming meeting of the IAEA.

    Like Larijani, Mottaki sniffed at the cautions diction of the London agreement of "report", saying reporting or referring Iran's file to the UN Security Council have nothing of difference.

    Motakki reiterated that Iran's resumption of nuclear fuel research work was an irreversible decision.

    Meanwhile, Iran's hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also gave his weight to the warnings of ceasing cooperative measures onthe nuclear issue, according to the students' agency ISNA.

    The IAEA board of governors would convene on Thursday in an emergency session, which the European trio of Britain, France and Germany called for due to Tehran's defiant resumption of nuclear fuel research work on January 10.

    The European trio expected that Iran could be pressurized to re-suspend its fuel research work and to accept a Russian proposal to transfer its uranium enrichment to Russia.

    In order to dissuade Iran from any moves that might escalate the crisis, a joint delegation comprising a Russian deputy foreign minister and Chinese diplomats would pay a visit to Iran on Wednesday to explain the decision made at the London meeting, according to local Russian media.

    However, Iran has said that it would never give in even before the Security Council, vowing to resume industrial uranium enrichment if referred.

    Mottaki also said on Tuesday that the intervention of the Security Council would endanger the prospect of the Russian proposal.

    Uranium enrichment is a key step for constructing nuclear fuel cycle, but enriched uranium to a high degree can be used for building nuclear weapons.

    The United States has accused Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons and the EU has asserted that Iran's full mastery of uranium enrichment technology would possibly lead to military usage.

    Stressing its nuclear research is completely peaceful, Iran has rejected the U.S. charge as politically motivated and vowed not to give up its legal rights enshrined by the NPT. Enditem