Iran will continue its nuclear activities in defiance of a UN demand to halt its disputed nuclear program, a senior Iranian official told state television Saturday.

Iran's deputy nuclear chief Mohammad Saeedi told the television that Iran will allow snap inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) if its nuclear case is returned from the UN Security Council to the IAEA.

"But, the uranium enrichment activities is authorized by the Iran's top leaders, so we will continue," said Saeedi, deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization.

Saeedi made the remarks one day after the IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei submitted a report to the UN Security Council, saying Iran had ignored the council's non-binding demand to suspend all uranium enrichment by the Friday deadline.

The UN nuclear watchdog has prompted calls from Western powers for tougher Security Council action against Iran.

The foreign ministers of five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China -- plus Germany are scheduled to meet in New York on May 9 to discuss response to ElBaradei's report.

Based on an IAEA resolution on Feb. 4, the UN nuclear watchdog handed over Iran's nuclear case to the Security Council on March 8, which led to the downgrade of Tehran's cooperation with the IAEA.

In retaliation, the Islamic Republic resumed small-scale uranium enrichment and barred snap inspections of the IAEA soon after the Feb. 4 resolution.

Iran has been insisting that it would not give in to pressures, holding that its nuclear program is fully peaceful.

Source: Xinhua