Iran threatens to resume enrichment

VIENNA, Austria – Iran threatened Sunday to embark on full-scale uranium enrichment if the U.N. nuclear watchdog presses for action over its nuclear program, and the American ambassador to the United Nations warned of the possibility of “painful consequences” for Iran.

The comments came as the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board prepared to meet today to discuss referring Iran to the U.N. Security Council, but delegates said whatever step the council might take would stop far short of sanctions.

John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Sunday that Iran “must be made aware that if it continues down the path of international isolation, there will be tangible and painful consequences.”

But Iran’s government cautioned that putting the issue before the Security Council would hurt efforts to resolve the dispute diplomatically.

“If Iran’s nuclear dossier is referred to the U.N. Security Council, (large-scale) uranium enrichment will be resumed,” Iran’s top negotiator, Ali Larijani, said.

Larijani said Iran will not abandon nuclear research, or back down from pursuing an atomic program that Tehran insists has the sole purpose of generating electricity with nuclear reactors.

IAEA delegates suggested the U.N. agency’s board will not push for confrontation with Iran and said any initial decisions by the Security Council based on the meeting’s outcome will be mild.

They said the most likely action from the council would be a statement urging Iran to resume its freeze on uranium enrichment – an activity that can make both reactor fuel and the core of nuclear warheads – and to increase cooperation with the IAEA’s probe of the Iranian program.