Wednesday, January 11 2006 15:53 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: The Bush administration has warned Iran that its decision to start work on nuclear fuel is a matter of 'serious concern' and that the international community may be left with no choice other than refer the matter to the UN Security Council.

Iran was one of the major topics at both the White House and the State Department as officials were scrambling for answers on the next course of action not only by Washington but by allies in Europe, along with Russia and China.

One view here is that something definitive on Tehran may only emerge after the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the EU3 in Berlin with the European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Salona this Thursday.

Another is that even if Europe is keen on having an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Russia and perhaps even China may abstain.

"If the regime in Iran continues on the current course and fails to abide by its international obligations there is no other choice but to refer the matter to the Security Council," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

"At present, the Bush administration is in close contacts with the Europeans and the others about how to move forward at the IAEA," he said.

But senior administration officials have said that referring Iran to the Security Council for removing UN seals at its Natanz uranium enrichment plant was not something definitely on the cards and were not clear if Moscow and Beijing would back the move.