IRAN SAID ON SUNDAY ANY MEASURES TAKEN AGAINST ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAMME BY THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL WOULD PUSH TEHRAN TOWARDS CONFRONTATION WITH THE WEST RATHER THAN COOPERATION WITH THE U.N. NUCLEAR WATCHDOG. IRAN HAS BEEN REFERRED TO THE WORLD BODY AFTER FAILING TO CONVINCE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY THAT ITS NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAMME IS NOT A SMOKESCREEN FOR BUILDING WEAPONS. "INVOLVING THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL AND ADOPTING INCORRECT DECISIONS WILL CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF WORK FROM COOPERATION TO CONFRONTATION," FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN HAMID REZA ASEFI TOLD A WEEKLY NEWS CONFERENCE. "IT IS CLEAR ANY MEASURE BY THE SECURITY COUNCIL WILL HAVE NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THE TREND OF OUR COOPERATION WITH THE (INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY) AGENCY (IAEA)," HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING BY REUTERS. A DRAFT U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION, PUT TOGETHER BY BRITAIN AND FRANCE AND BACKED BY THE UNITED STATES, WOULD COMPEL IRAN TO SUSPEND ITS NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES UNDER CHAPTER 7 OF THE U.N. CHARTER. ASEFI SAID THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE. "DISCUSSION OF SUSPENSION OR A PAUSE HAS NOT BEEN ON IRAN'S AGENDA AND WILL NOT BE SO," HE SAID. "WE WILL NOT ACCEPT A RESOLUTION WHICH ASKS IRAN FOR MORE THAN IT HAS TO GIVE." "WE THINK THE POSITION OF THE AGENCY SHOULD NOT BE UNDERMINED AND, SECONDLY, WE THINK THE INTERFERENCE OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON THIS ISSUE IS COMPLETELY ILLEGAL."
