Iran yesterday threatened to bin an international proposal over its nuclear program if the UN Security Council passes a resolution demanding that Teheran freeze uranium enrichment.

 

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi also said Teheran could "revise" its policies implicitly warning that future access for UN inspectors could end and said the proposed UN resolution would "worsen the crisis in the region."

 

"By putting pressure and trying to intimidate Iran, no country will achieve anything. On the contrary, the situation will worsen," Asefi warned.

 

"If they pass a resolution against Iran, the package will not be on the agenda any more," he said of an international proposal offering incentives to Iran in return for a suspension of uranium enrichment.

 

The proposal was drawn up by the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany.

 

With Iran saying it will take until August 22 to reply, the Security Council is now poised to pass a resolution giving Teheran until August 31 to stop enriching uranium.

 

Enrichment work is at the focus of fears the Islamic republic could acquire nuclear weapons, although Iran insists it wants to enrich uranium only to the levels needed to make reactor fuel.

 

"The Europeans must be aware that we will revise our policies and react accordingly," Asefi said.

 

Issuing this resolution will worsen the crisis in the region, he added.

 

When asked to elaborate on what specific measures Iran might take, Asefi replied: "They know what I am talking about."

 

Iranian leaders have already warned they could halt cooperation with inspectors from the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and even quit the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

 

A text of the proposed UN resolution was distributed to the 15 council nations on Friday, and US Ambassador John Bolton told reporters that a vote could be held early in the week.

 

Moscow's ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, stressed the new resolution would not threaten sanctions and that it was "an invitation to dialogue" with Iran.

 

But he also acknowledged that if Iran did not respond, the Security Council would then consider "measures of pressure, like sanctions" under Article 41 of Chapter Seven of the UN Charter. Article 41 would not allow the use of force.

 

The draft resolution calls on Iran to follow IAEA directives "without further delay" and highlights the three years the IAEA has spent trying to get information about Iran's nuclear program.

 

If passed, it would call on IAEA director Mohammed ElBaradei to report by August 31 on whether Iran has complied.

 

(China Daily July 31, 2006)