French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said on Tuesday that the Iranian nuclear issue is "very serious" and "may trigger a major international crisis."

"The Iran matter seems very serious to me -- it may trigger a major international crisis because, if Iran doesn't go back on its decision, then Iran will be, I would say, in a purely unilateral position," Douste-Blazy told reporters after a ministers meeting chaired by French President Jacques Chirac.

Iran on Monday told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it would resume, as of Monday, uranium ore conversion that changes uranium ore into uranium gas, the feedstock for enrichment.

On Tuesday, Iran continued to defy the international community and Europe, saying there was no going back on its decision to restart nuclear fuel work, despite warning of the UN Security Council.

Douste-Blazy warned that the UN Security Council could consider unspecified "sanctions" in response to Iran's decision.

"We are proposing, we Europeans, an extraordinary meeting as soon as possible of the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors to ask the international community to say and to spell out very strongly and firmly to the Iranians that they have to return to the negotiating table," the minister said.

"If the Iranians don't accept what the board of governors offers them, then the international community should, I believe, go to the Security Council... (and) we'll then see what sanctions are applied to Iran," he added.

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin warned earlier Tuesday at Europe 1 radio, just before the cabinet meeting, that Iran must abide by a deal with the European Union to suspend its nuclear program or face UN Security Council retribution.

"Iran must honor the commitments it has made. These commitments are commitments suspending all activity, conversion, treatment and enrichment of uranium," Villepin said, adding that if Tehran refuses, "the international community will be forced to draw conclusions ... with consensus, with dialogue."

"And the Security Council will be called on if Iran refuses to comply," he said.

Source: Xinhua