TEHRAN, Iran – Iran’s foreign minister called a resolution by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency that puts it just one step away from possible Security Council sanctions “illegal and illogical” and accused the United States on Sunday of orchestrating the measure.
Separately, in a letter to Iran’s ultraconservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, about 180 out of 290 lawmakers called on his government to cancel Iran’s voluntary suspension of nuclear activities and scale back cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The resolution passed Saturday by the IAEA board could lead to Iran’s referral to the U.N. Security Council for violating the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and possible sanctions, unless Tehran eases suspicions about its nuclear activities. Iran insists its nuclear program is designed for generating electricity.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki called the resolution “political, illegal and illogical” and threatened unspecified punitive measures against Britain, France and Germany, the key three European countries negotiating with Iran.
“The three European countries implemented a planned scenario, already determined by the United States,” he said on state-run television.
“The Foreign Ministry will define and implement an appropriate response,” he said. “Their motion has paved the way for creation of a new situation that will create obstacles for cooperation.”
Tehran had already warned that, if the resolution was approved, it could respond by starting uranium enrichment – a possible path to nuclear arms – and by reducing IAEA powers to inspect its activities.
Diplomats from countries backing the resolution said it set Iran up for possible Security Council referral as early as November, when the board next meets in regular session.
To avoid referral, diplomats said, Iran is being told to suspend all uranium enrichment activities, to give up construction of a heavy water nuclear reactor and to give agency experts access to research and development locations and documentation.
The resolution also demands that Iran immediately ratify an additional protocol to the non-proliferation treaty that allows more extensive IAEA inspections of its nuclear facilities.
Iran has repeatedly said that the treaty allows it to pursue such activities for peaceful purposes, and that it will not give up the right to enrich uranium to produce nuclear fuel.
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