A senior Chinese envoy will take up the diplomatic baton today after yesterday’s apparently fruitless mission by Mohamed ElBaradei, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s hardline President, set the tone even as Mr ElBaradei arrived in Tehran.

He declared that the Islamic republic would not retreat “even one iota” after triumphantly announcing on Tuesday that it had mastered the art of uranium enrichment and would proceed now on an industrial scale. “Our answer to those who are angry about Iran obtaining the full nuclear cycle is one phrase: Be angry and die of this anger,” he said.

After talks with Mr ElBaradei, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, dismissed UN demands that it freeze its nuclear programme as “not very important”.

Mr ElBaradei said that he could not confirm Iran’s claims that it had enriched uranium to 3.5 per cent, the level used to fuel nuclear power stations. “Our inspectors have taken samples. They will report to the [IAEA] board,” he told a news conference.

Mr Ahmadinejad’s statement oozed defiance, and a belief that the world now had to deal with the new reality that Iran is a nuclear power. “The situation is completely changed. We are a nuclear state,” he said. “We will not hold talks with anyone about the Iranian nation’s right [to enrichment].”

Tehran insists that its programme is solely for generating electricity, vehemently denying Western charges that its real goal is atomic weapons.

Iranian newspapers have hailed the apparent breakthrough on uranium enrichment, but differ over the wisdom of confronting the international community.

Hardline dailies scoffed at the apparent impotence of the West, saying that it had been “checkmated” by Iran. “What can they do with Iran now?” demanded the conservative Jam-e-Jam. The ability to enrich uranium had put Iran on an “irreversible path”, it said.

But reformist publications argued that Tehran could afford to make concessions. “The possibility of a compromise between Iran and other parties has been increased,” argued Sharq.

Mr ElBaradei is to report back to the UN Security Council by the end of the month on whether Iran is complying with its demand to stop all enrichment activity.

Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, said last night that there would “have to be some consequence” for Iran’s refusal to suspend enrichment. One option would be using Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which allows measures to ensure that the will of the international system is carried out.

Cui Tianakai, China’s Assistant Foreign Minister and an arms control expert, will visit Iran and Russia from today. Beijing hoped that “the relevant parties can exercise restraint and not take measures that will escalate the situation,” the Chinese foreign ministry said.

China and Russia, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, have close trading and energy links with Tehran and are eager to avoid a sanctions regime. They have joined other world powers in chastising Iran for its uranium enrichment plans.

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