"We continue to hope that Iran will not take this step, the consequences of which it is well aware," Barnier said before the upper house of parliament, the Senate.

Any decision to start converting uranium would "be counter to the Paris agreement and resolutions adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). We want to get this position across to the authorities in Tehran," he said.

Tehran earlier threatened to resume uranium conversion work, a precursor to uranium enrichment, in defiance of an agreement reached in November after talks with France, Germany and Britain.

The three EU nations have warned that they will call on the UN Security Council if Iran fails to comply.

"Our aim has always been clear -- - to stop this great country developing the capability to manufacture fissile material which could be used to make a nuclear weapon," Barnier said.

In November "Iran came to an agreement with us in Paris to suspend dangerous activities. It committed itself to complete transparency and cooperation with the IAEA," he said.

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