The governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency will hold an emergency meeting on Iran's nuclear work on February 2 at the request of European Union powers, an IAEA spokesman said today.
France, Britain, Germany and the United States are expected to push at the session to have Tehran referred to the UN Security Council after it resumed research that could be used for generating electricity or make atomic bombs.
The West suspects Iran is seeking a nuclear arsenal. Tehran says its goal is to better power an energy-hungry economy.
The "EU3" group earlier today began gauging the views of states on the IAEA's 35-member board on a resolution asking that the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, report Iran to the Security Council.
That drew a dismissive response from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "It is clear this is politically motivated," he told reporters. "We are asking them to step down from their ivory towers and act with a little logic."
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said nuclear weapons were against Islamic teachings, as well as Iranian interests, but he vowed to pursue atomic energy.