Aghazadeh, who also heads Iran's nuclear agency, went into a meeting with non-aligned states, and was also to meet with Russia and China, at the Vienna headquarters of the UN watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), senior Iranian foreign ministry official Pirooz Hosseini told AFP.

The EU's three main states are pushing at a meeting this week of the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors for Iran to be reported to the Security Council for "breaches" of international nuclear safeguards, but the move faces stiff opposition from Russia and drew sharp threats from Iran.

Iran issued its toughest warning yet in response to Western pressure over its nuclear programme, threatening Tuesday to limit UN inspections, resume ultra-sensitive fuel work and even quit the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The Islamic republic's top nuclear negotiator, hardliner Ali Larijani, also said in Tehran that oil giant Iran would base its business dealings with individual countries on whose side they took in the dispute.

Britain, France and Germany distributed on Tuesday a draft resolution titled "Iran: Elements for an IAEA Board Resolution" to members of the IAEA board.

The European trio and the United States are calling for Iran to be reported to the Security Council over potentially weapons-related nuclear fuel work and threaten to push for a vote if consensus at the 35-nation board can not be achieved, diplomats told AFP.

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