Iran nuclear work 'irreversible'

Tehran: Iran has refused to abandon work on uranium enrichment, despite a deadline from the UN Security Council.

Hamid Reza Asefi, Foreign Ministry spokesman, said that Iran's nuclear work is "irreversible" and that  suspension is "not in our agenda".

Although the deadline set by the Security Council is not compulsory, the United States and Britain have demanded that Iran comply or face sanctions.

The countries believe Iran is using enrichment to disguise its nuclear weapons development, a charge which Iran has denied.

UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency is set to submit a report by April 28 to establish Iran?s compliance with the Security Council?s demands.

Asefi told a press conference that there was "nothing left to worry about" if the report contained expert assessment but that if the report pressures Iran, it will "not abandon its rights" to retaliate.

Asefi denied claims that the programme involved developing advanced P-2 centrifuges, which enrich uranium faster than its existing units, but defended Iran's choice to use such centrifuges as its right.

Plans to enrich uranium in partnership with Russia have not been ruled out. Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's envoy to the IAEA, said a "basic agreement" between the two countries had been reached.