Iran resumed its uranium enrichment activities on Monday and delayed scheduled talks on a Russia compromise, prompting mixed responses in the world.

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of the Iranian national security and foreign relations committee in parliament, told the state television that Iran resumed "peaceful" uranium enrichment at the Natanz plant in the presence of inspectors from the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The resumption was the final step of Iran's reactions against a recent decision by the IAEA to report Iran's nuclear activities to the UN Security Council.

Tehran's latest move immediately roused concern from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who met U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday and urged "no steps" that might escalate the dispute over Iran's nuclear program.

"We need to be able to work to resolve it, and I hope there will be no steps taken to escalate the situation," Annan told reporters after talks with Bush at the White House.

Iran's arch foes, the United States and Israel, made tough responses.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan accused Iran of thumbing its nose at the world on its nuclear program, while Israel voiced support for taking Iran's nuclear case to the UN Security Council.

The United States and Israel both have threatened military strikes on Iran as a last resort.

Meanwhile, Iran put off talks with Moscow on a plan to enrich Tehran's uranium on Russian territory to allay fears it is building an atomic weapon.

"The date of the planned negotiations would be reset due to some new developments," government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham said, adding that his country is determined to enrich uranium for peaceful purpose within its own territory.

The negotiations were scheduled for Thursday in Moscow to discuss the proposal raised by Russia in late December 2005.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said, however, it had not received any official notification of changes to the talks and that it was "premature" to say they had been postponed or canceled.

"Our proposal for the Feb. 16 visit remains in force," announced Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak.

Germany, one of the EU trio trying to persuade Tehran but in vain to give up the disputed enrichment program, expressed disappointment at the reports that Iran had postponed talks with Russia.

"If these reports are true, we would regret this step," said Jens Ploetner, deputy spokesman for the Foreign Ministry.

"It would mean that the time until the next IAEA Board of Governors meeting in March cannot be used as efficiently as possible ... to push forward with a diplomatic solution," he added.

Germany, France and Britain passed the Iranian nuclear issue to the IAEA after the talks stalled with Iran. The UN nuclear watchdog voted on Feb. 4 to report to the UN Security Council but put off a final decision over what to do with Iran until March 6.

Source: Xinhua