France, Britain and Germany hardened their tone toward Iran, warning that Tehran risked triggering an international crisis and could face UN sanctions if it follows through with a threat to resume its nuclear program.

TIRED of waiting for European negotiators to make a proposal in return for a nuclear freeze, Iran yesterday warned it is preparing to restart some of its suspended atomic activities.

Iran renewed its promise today to refrain from developing nuclear weapons, Britain’s foreign minister Jack Straw said, at least temporarily averting being hauled before the UN Security Council to face possible international sanctions.

Iran vowed today it would “definitely” resume some uranium reprocessing activities, refuting suggestions that Tehran, under European pressure, was considering backing away from its threat to immediately end its freeze of uranium conversion.

Iran insisted today it will resume some nuclear activities that were suspended in an attempt to gain international confidence, but indicated actual uranium enrichment won’t resume as long as talks between Iranian and European negotiators have not collapsed.

Iran’s top nuclear negotiator said today that Tehran wanted to resolve decades of differences with the United States but warned that a US military strike would not be able to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Iran’s president Mohammad Khatami said today that his country will continue its nuclear development programme even if it meant ending inspections by the UN‘s nuclear agency.

IRAN yesterday denounced as “illegal” demands from the UN atomic watchdog agency that it freeze all work on uranium enrichment - technology that can be used for nuclear weapons.

Demands from the UN atomic watchdog agency that Iran freeze all work on uranium enrichment – technology that can be used for nuclear weapons - were “illegal,” the country insisted today.

Iran has suspended its enrichment of uranium and has accepted additional inspections of its nuclear facilities, a senior official said today.

IRAN will suspend uranium enrichment and allow spot checks of its nuclear programme, as sought by the UN nuclear watchdog agency, a senior Iranian official said yesterday after three European foreign ministers went to Tehran to press the international community’s case.