IRAN threatened to retaliate against the international community after the world’s most powerful states decided yesterday to report it to the United Nations Security Council over its nuclear programme.

Hours after America, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia agreed that they would vote at an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) tomorrow for the case to be sent to the UN, Iran struck a defiant note.

“We will never abandon our rights to nuclear technology and, if referred to the Security Council, Iran will stop voluntary implementation of the additional protocol,” said President Ahmadinejad, quoted by state television. Under the protocols, Iran agreed to allow the IAEA to carry out surprise inspections of its atomic facilities.

Last night a leaked report by the IAEA suggested that the Iranian position was already hardening. The UN nuclear watchdog said that the Iranians had begun preparations for full-scale uranium enrichment, the most controversial part of their nuclear programme. Iran had also prevented inspectors from questioning key scientists and had refused to produce documents related to the production of nuclear weapons.

Ali Larijani, the chief Iranian nuclear negotiator, also made a veiled threat to retaliate in the Middle East against the interests of those countries taking action against Iran. “If these countries use all their means ...to put pressure on Iran, Iran will use its capacity in the region,” he said.

There were fears that Iran could mobilise its militant allies, particularly Shia Muslim militias in Iraq and Lebanon and militant Islamic groups in the Palestinian territories.

Nevertheless, Britain regarded the decision against Iran, taken in the early hours of yesterday morning by the foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, as a major diplomatic coup. “I hope it’s sending a message that the international community is united,” Tony Blair said. “This is going to be discussed and decided upon by the UN Security Council. That is a very important step. We could not get agreement on that before — we have got agreement on it now.”

Under the agreement, Iran’s case is expected to be sent to the UN by a majority of the 35 member nations of the IAEA. But no action will be taken until March, when the organisation is due to hear a full report on Iran’s behaviour by Mohamad ElBaradei, the IAEA’s director-general.

British officials said that it was possible for Iran to avoid being reported to the UN if it suspended all uranium enrichment work, which it resumed on January 10 at Natanz.

Senior Russian and Chinese officials are due to begin talks today in Tehran to convince the Iranians to accept a compromise, whereby the enrichment work would be carried out on Iran’s behalf in Russia.

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