European powers began circulating a draft resolution today that asks the UN nuclear watchdog to report Iran to the Security Council, drawing a scornful response from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency will hold an emergency meeting on Iran's nuclear work on February 2 at the request of European Union powers, an IAEA spokesman said today.
France, Britain, Germany and the United States are expected to push at the session to have Tehran referred to the UN Security Council after it resumed research that could be used for generating electricity or making atomic bombs.
"It is clear this is politically motivated," the Iranian preident said when asked about the text drafted by France, Britain and Germany, which diplomats said had so far only been seen by US and EU officials.
"We are asking them to step down from their ivory towers and act with a little logic," the 48-year-old leader told reporters.
The West suspects Iran is seeking nuclear arms. Tehran says its atomic programme aims only to generate electricity.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said nuclear weapons were against Islamic teachings, as well as Iranian interests, but he vowed to pursue atomic energy.
The United States and European Union said they saw no point in holding further talks with Iran on its nuclear programmes and it was time for the Security Council to tackle the issue, ratcheting up diplomatic pressure on Tehran and opening the door to eventual sanctions.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said there was "not much to talk about" and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana agreed.
Iran wrote to the IAEA yesterday proposing more talks with the Europeans, who called off the negotiations last week after Tehran removed U.N. seals on uranium enrichment equipment.
Rice, speaking before talks with Solana in Washington, said the EU had made clear Iran had crossed an important threshold.
"Iran must not be allowed to get a nuclear weapon. It must not be allowed to pursue activities that might lead to a nuclear weapon and on that we are fully united," she said.