Iran again threatened wednesday to start full-scale uranium enrichment if reported to the UN Security Council, while signaling interest in a Russian proposal aimed at calming its nuclear row with the West. The council’s five veto-wielding permanent members plus Germany plan to meet in London on Monday to try to resolve differences over whether to send Iran to the council at a crisis meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog on February 2, diplomats said. They said foreign ministers of Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany would seek a consensus before the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) gathers in Vienna to weigh what to do about Iran.

The United States and its European Union allies say it is time for the IAEA to turn Iran’s nuclear dossier over to the Security Council. China and Russia have urged caution. US ambassador to India, David Mulford, suggested to the Press Trust of India news agency that a nuclear cooperation deal with India could collapse unless New Delhi voted against Iran next month at the IAEA. So far India has been non-committal. But US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said how India voted was solely a decision for the Indian government.

“We deal with the Indian government on these two issues as separate issues,” he said of the Iran vote and the US-Indian nuclear agreement sealed last July. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he doubted any decision on referral could be reached at the February 2 meeting. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said his country would immediately halt voluntary dealings with the IAEA, which include snap checks on its atomic sites, if sent to the council.

<B>Parisa HAFEZI</B>