Saturday, January 14 2006 12:03 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: The United States yesterday (Jan 13, 2006) said the UN Security Council was the only option for keeping Iran from developing nuclear weapons capability.

"The only alternative is to look to the Security Council," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters.

He declined to discuss specific measures the Security Council could take, saying merely "there are a number of tools and measures available to us."

McClellan would not comment on how fellow Security Council permanent members Russia and China would react. But he added that it was "very clear that the international community is speaking with one voice."

Iran today threatened to stop cooperating with the UN's atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), if its controversial nuclear programme is referred to the Security Council.

Officials from the European Union, the United States, China and Russia are due to hold talks on the crisis in London on Monday, when they are expected to set a date for a crunch meeting of the IAEA.

Iran's standoff with the international community escalated after Tehran on Tuesday resumed sensitive nuclear research linked to uranium enrichment, which produces fuel for nuclear power reactors but can also be used to make atomic bombs.