Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani warned Sunday that Tehran will start large-scale uranium enrichment if the U.S. campaign succeeded in referring it to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.
"If Iran's nuclear dossier is referred to the UN Security Council, (large scale) uranium enrichment will be resumed," Larijani told a press conference today.
"If they (the U.S. and its allies) want to use force, we will pursue our own path," he added.
Reiterating that Iran will not suspend small-scale enrichment work as required by the European Union (EU) and Russia, Larijani said "Nuclear technology is one of Iran's sovereign rights which can never be abandoned."
The UN atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency is set to meet tomorrow in Vienna, Austria, to reach an agreement on how to deal with Iran's nuclear program and whether to refer the Islamic republic's nuclear dossier to the Security Council or not.
Being refered to the UN Security Council will not make the Islamic republic halt its peaceful nuclear program, Larijani affirmed.
"They (the U.S. and its allies) should not think that taking Iran to the UN Security Council will bring any achievement (for them). Of course, we don't welcome it. It has been our effort to resolve the issue through diplomatic means. We don't want anything beyond our legitimate rights (under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty)," he stressed.
"Taking Iran to the UN Security Council is not an advantage for us and others. It can also make problems for others. However, it will not cause Iran to give up nuclear research and development. If anybody doubts this, they can test it," he told reporters.
"We have kept open all peaceful ways. We have no interest to use oil as a weapon because international morale security is important to us".
Earlier Sunday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi stated that Iran could reach an agreement with the EU or Russia over its nuclear program "in the coming few hours".
Speaking to reporters Sunday, Asefi said that "anything is possible," yet warning that the UN Security Council involvement in the matter would be negative to the solution to the dispute.
"Tomorrow will be crucial for the IAEA, for a big test is confronting the agency, by which it will show how it defends its own authority and credibility by securing its members' rights. We hope the IAEA will avoid adopting political decisions," Asefi stressed.
The Iranian diplomat moreover accused Washington of adopting a double-standard policy in allowing other countries pursue nuclear technology, apparently referring to India, citing the recent nuclear deal the Asian state reached with the United States.
"The United States' approach is a form of double standards. It signed a contract with a country that was not a member of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. That is objectionable. On the other hand, it approaches Iran in such a (bad) way," Asefi added.
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