IAEA sends Iran to Security Council

TEHRAN, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Iran has threatened to sever nuclear talks after the International Atomic Energy Agency voted to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council.

The IAEA vote Saturday came after accusations, mainly from the United States and some European states, that Iran's push to begin uranium enrichment had a weapons component, the BBC reported.

Iran had said its push was strictly for energy and Javad Vaiedi, deputy head of the Supreme National Security Council in Iran, called the IAEA move politically motivated.

Iran said it will now ignore international warnings and begin uranium enrichment. It also threatened to stop letting in IAEA inspectors.

Russia had been working a deal to enrich uranium for Iran but the state of that agreement is now unknown.

Russia and China had both opposed referring Iran to the Security Council and only agreed to this resolution because it did not include any call for international action or sanctions.

It does call for Iran to work with the IAEA and "clarify possible activities which could have a military dimension."

A final vote will take place in March after IAEA head Mohammed El-Baradei delivers a final report on the issue.