Iran says UN resolution won't stop nuclear work

TEHRAN, Dec 21 (Reuters) A planned U N sanctions resolution will not force Iran to halt its nuclear programme but will affect its cooperation with the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, a senior Iranian official said today.

''The nature of this resolution is not capable of pressuring Iran and Iran will give an appropriate response to it,'' Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was quoted as saying by the ISNA students news agency.

Britain's U N Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said on Wednesday he expected the U N Security Council to vote this week on a resolution imposing sanctions on Iran for failing to heed calls it halt sensitive nuclear fuel production work.

''This behaviour will just create more problems,'' Larijani said after a meeting with visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister Kursheed Mehmood Kasuri.

''They should know that if they ratify the resolution Iran will be in a new situation. In this situation Iran will review its cooperation with the agency (International Atomic Energy Agency) and (review) other political, economic and cultural fields.'' Iran denies Western accusations that its civilian nuclear programme masks a covert bomb-making effort.

''The issue for the other side is not whether Iran's programme is peaceful or not. Basically they don't want Iran to have such technology,'' he said.

Reuters SP DB1956