TEHRAN, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Iran said on Saturday that it had been prepared for "any situation" over rising nuclear tension,warning that any language of threat would be ineffective.

    "By facing threats, the Iranians get stronger, and the government has prepared plans for any situation. Those familiar with the country's culture are aware that the language of threat does never work," government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham said.

    Elham referred to attempts of the United States and Britain to push forward a stern presidential statement on the Iranian nuclear issue in the UN Security Council and set a two-week deadline for Iran to suspend all activities related to uranium enrichment.

    The spokesman said that Iran would never accept suspension of its nuclear research activities, stressing that the Iranian people enjoyed "an internationally recognized right for conducting nuclear research activities."

    Elham made the comments one day after the 15-member UN Security Council convened for about one hour to review a draft presidential statement urging Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities.

    The Security Council will meet again on Tuesday for further discussions.

    The Iranian nuclear issue has reached a critical stage sincethe International Atomic Energy Agency on March 8 handed over files of Iran's nuclear program to the UN Security Council after the agency's board of governors meeting.

    The permanent five of the Security Council -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China -- have held several rounds of negotiations on the next move over Iran but failed to reach consensus.

    Iran has denounced the involvement of the Security Council,vowing never to give in to pressure and bully. Enditem