TEHRAN, May 11: Iran appeared determined on Wednesday to back away from a deal with the European Union and end its suspension of some sensitive nuclear activities, dismissing the US threat of being hauled before the UN Security Council as propaganda. “There is no legal basis for sending Iran’s nuclear case to the UN Security Council, and this is nothing but media propaganda,” Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, a vice president and head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, was quoted as saying by state media.

Frustrated by the pace of negotiations with Britain, France and Germany, Iran has said it will back away from a Nov 2004 deal in which it agreed to freeze uranium enrichment activities. The agreement kicked off talks in which the EU are offering a package of incentives in return for ‘objective guarantees’ that Tehran will not develop weapons.

“Since the suspension was voluntary and aimed at trust building... there is no reason to continue the suspension,” Mr Aghazadeh said. “The Europeans should know that ending the suspension does not require the permission of any person or international body.”

Iranian officials have said work could now restart at a plant used to convert mined uranium “yellowcake” into a feed gas for centrifuges.—AFP