VIENNA (AFP) - Iran is to decide within two or three days whether to honor a UN call to fully suspend enriching uranium or to resume this key part of the nuclear fuel cycle.
"The decision makers of the country would come to a decision, I believe, within two, three days," Hossein Mousavian, head of Iran's delegation to a meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog in Vienna, told reporters Friday.
His comments came as the watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was considering a US-European draft resolution that sets a November deadline for a full review of Iran's nuclear program, which the United States claims hides a covert atomic weapons program, and calls for Iran to "immediately suspend all enrichment-related activities," according to a copy of the text obtained by AFP.
Iran suspended uranium enrichment in October 2003 as a confidence-building measure but has continued support activities such as building the centrifuges that refine the uranium. It recently alarmed the United States by saying it would be making the uranium gas that is the feed for centrifuges.
Uranium can be enriched to make fuel for civilian reactors but also the explosive core for atomic bombs.
Iran insists on its right to enrichment, which is allowed under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Mousavian said Iranian leaders "would come to a clear decision after they have the draft resolution within coming days about the request of the IAEA for full suspension."
He said the leaders would decide "on the basis of the national interests of the country."
But he stressed that Iran will maintain "our cooperation with the IAEA until the remaining issues are resolved in November."
Mousavian blasted the resolution, which still must be adopted by the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors, for not taking into account "many positive elements" on Iran in the last report by IAEA director general Mohamed ElBaradei.
He said the resolution was not "logical" but "political."
Mousavian said the United States had failed to impose an ultimatum on Iran and was now "isolated" at the IAEA.
He said Iran "would welcome a definitive conclusion of the board for the November meeting. This has been our request from March 2004," as Iran feels it has answered IAEA concerns and no longer needs to be investigated.
Mousavian said: "Our main issue is not to bargain with the IAEA or EU about one or two months (more) suspension.
"Our main argument is the recognition of Iran for the right of enrichment as far as enrichment is legal on the basis of rules and regulations of the IAEA on (NPT) safeguards," Mousavian said.
"We do not expect the IAEA... to impose anything beyond NPT rules and regulations... on any member," Mousavian said.
Mousavian said Iran's year-long suspension of uranium enrichment, coupled with its signing an additional protocol to allow wider IAEA inspections and giving IAEA inspectors "full access" to Iranian facilities, was "enough for confidence-building."
He said Iran was disappointed that Britain, France and Germany, with whom it signed the October agreement for suspension and increased Iranian cooperation with the IAEA, had not lived up to their promises to have the IAEA's investigation of Iran wrapped up by last June and to provide transfers of peaceful nuclear technology in exchange for Iran's cooperation.
But Mousavian said Iran was now negotiating with the European Union on "a wide-range of issues related to security, peace and stability in the whole region of the Persian Gulf, Caucasus, Central Asia and Middle East" and that progress in these talks "would have an effect on the timing of starting enrichment."
Iran seeks the elimination of weapons of mass destruction from the Middle East as well as trade and technology transfers, Mousavian said.
In Jerusalem Monday, the head of Israeli military intelligence, General Aharon Zeevi, said the next six months would be crucial for Iran to position itself as a would-be nuclear power.