Iran moves to ratify nuclear protocol

The government is planning to submit a bill to parliament to ratify an additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that allows tougher international control of Iran's nuclear activities.

Foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters that the bill would be approved by the government and then submitted to parliament but he gave no timetable.

Iran, accused by the United States of trying to develop weapons under the cover of a nuclear energy programme, signed the additional protocol in December 2003 to allow tougher international inspections of its activities.

The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has however insisted that Iran's parliament also ratify the protocol.

But defying international dema-nds, Asefi reiterated that Iran would resume sensitive work on the nuclear fuel process.

"The decision has been taken to start some of our activities" at Iran's uranium conversion facility in Isfahan, he said, but added: "We have not decided what we will start or when."

Iran agreed in November last year to suspend its fuel cycle work -- the focus of international fears the country may be seeking the bomb -- and open talks with Britain, France and Germany.

But the clerical regime has since voiced frustration over the negotiations, in which the EU-3 are offering a package of incentives in return for "objective guarantees" from Iran that it will not develop weapons.