NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS Iran: Consequences follow referral to Security Council

An official claims cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran warned Sunday there will be "certain consequences" if it is referred to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions over its nuclear activities.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki also said at a news conference that Iran plans to seek bids for building two additional nuclear power plants in the Islamic republic. Russia now is finishing a plant in Bushehr that Iran expects to begin producing electricity early next year.
Mottaki reiterated Iran's position that it will not stop uranium reprocessing, rejecting a U.S.-backed European threat that Tehran has about a week to freeze the activities or face referral to the Security Council for possible sanctions.
The threat was issued after the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog body, said Iran had converted uranium into about 7 tons of a gas needed to produce enriched uranium -- which can be used to fuel a power-generating reactor but also to make nuclear weapons.
"There is no legal or legitimate reason, given Iran's transparent activities and its open cooperation with the IAEA ... that Iran be referred to the U.N. Security Council," Mottaki told reporters.
"If a political decision is made to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council, it will be entering a lose-lose game. It will have its own certain consequences and will affect Iran's decisions. We prefer that such a game is not played."
He did not specify what those consequences would be, but Iran is a major oil exporter.
Tension
The United States accuses Iran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to secretly produce nuclear weapons. Iran has rejected the charge, saying its nuclear program is intended only for generating electricity.
While rejecting demands that Iran cease uranium conversion, Mottaki said his government was willing to continue talks with European Union negotiators.
Britain, Germany and France, negotiating on behalf of the 25-nation European Union, previously offered Iran economic incentives and a supply of reactor fuel in return for Tehran permanently giving up uranium conversion.
Iran rejected the proposal as an infringement on its sovereignty, saying the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty gives it the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Mottaki said Iran was drawing up its own proposals for the nuclear issue and they would probably be delivered to U.N. officials and heads of state by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when he arrives in New York for this week's U.N. General Assembly.