1 May 2005	Sunday	21 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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TEHRAN, April 30: Iran warned on Saturday it may resume uranium enrichment-related work in the coming week after failing to reach a breakthrough in talks with the European Union over the long-term future of its nuclear programme.

The warning sets up a summer crisis in Iran’s long-running nuclear dispute with the West and is likely to lead to renewed US calls to send its case to the United Nations Security Council for possible economic sanctions.

“Iran will decide whether to resume its uranium enrichment programme this week in Tehran,” the official IRNA news agency quoted Tehran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Hassan Rohani, as saying.

“Iran is unlikely to start enriching uranium at Natanz, but some activities might be resumed next week at Isfahan’s Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF) complex.”

Iran froze all uranium fuel work, including activities at Isfahan and Natanz, last November as part of an agreement with the EU’s big three powers Britain, Germany and France.

The EU trio and Iran failed to reach a final agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme at talks in London on Friday but agreed to continue the negotiations next week in New York. “(Friday’s) talks were informal with no conclusions,” a British foreign office spokeswoman said. “Now both sides intend to reflect on the discussions and they intend to be in contact soon, including in New York where they will attend the NPT (non-proliferation treaty) review conference.” The NPT review conference starts on Monday in New York. But Iran, which has warned its nuclear suspension was only temporary, accused the EU of trying to drag out the talks. “The Europeans want the negotiations to take a long time,” Mr Rohani said.—Reuters