Iran, dissatisfied with the EU failure to present a promised nuclear proposal by the deadline, has been posing a firm stance on the threatened resumption of uranium conversion work while seeking coordination with the UN nuclear watchdog.

Ali Aghamohammadi, spokesman of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), was reported by the official IRNA news agency on Thursday to have written a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Chief Mohammad ElBaradei.

In the letter, the spokesman called on the UN nuclear watchdog to "probe into the unsealing of the Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility and issue order for immediate action."

Aghamohammadi expressed dissatisfaction about the IAEA's sluggishness over the placing of supervisory equipment on the conversion facility after Iran announced the irreversible resumption on Monday.

"Previously the IAEA acted very rapidly with respect to unsealing but it seems that at this stage there is some procrastination," Aghamohammadi told IRNA.

He further said that Iran had responded to the letter of the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Britain, in which the EU trio warned Tehran not to take the unilateral move or it would bring the nuclear negotiations to an end, which means a possibility to refer Iran's nuclear case to the UN Security Council.

"We have explained in this letter that we have accepted suspension of uranium enrichment voluntarily while according to the Non-Proliferation Treaty there is no need for discussion and garnering others' consent to implement this inalienable right of ours," Aghamohammadi said.

Iran at first said it would remove the seals on the uranium conversion facility in the central city Isfahan on Monday under the supervision of the IAEA.

Uranium conversion is the preparatory step for uranium enrichment, during which uranium ore nicknamed "yellowcake" is turned into uranium hexafluoride gas (UF6).

UF6 can be processed in thousands of connected centrifuges to yield enriched uranium, which can be used to generate electricity as well as build nuclear weapons.

"The seals of the Uranium Conversion Facility in Isfahan will be removed on Monday under full supervision of the IAEA experts," Aqamohammadi said Monday afternoon, adding that all of the uranium conversion products in Isfahan would also be "kept under the agency's inspection".

On Wednesday evening, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani stated that Tehran has decided to delay the restart until Saturday, owing the postponement to "some formalities".

"The IAEA has asked us to wait for a week so that they can put surveillance equipment in place," Rowhani said, stressing that Iran would try to shorten the waiting time.

Meanwhile, the chief negotiator also wrote a letter to the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Britain, which was released by IRNA on Thursday, to reiterate Iran's determination to unsealing the conversion facility but still voiced willingness to continue the negotiations with the EU and the cooperation with the IAEA.

"With good intentions and in a speedy manner, Tehran is ready to continue its negotiations with the EU trio in this respect. We intend to take only a small step towards preserving this cycle, and this measure will be taken under the full surveillance of the IAEA," Rowhani said in the letter.

Source: Xinhua