Thursday, March 9 2006 19:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Tehran: Iran today (Mar 09 2006) rejected as "unjust" a decision by the UN nuclear watchdog agency to refer its nuclear programme file to the UN Security Council, and said it will not be bullied into abandoning its pursuit of nuclear energy.

"The people of Iran will not accept coercion and unjust decisions by international organisations," Iranian television quoted hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying during a visit to Iran's western province of Lorestan.

"Enemies cannot force the Iranian people to relinquish their rights. The era of bullying and brutality is over," he told a crowd of supporters.

Yesterday, the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency concluded a three-day meeting in Vienna on Iran's nuclear programme, formally opening the path to Security Council action. Soon after, IAEA chief Mohamed Elbaradei sent a Feb. 27 report on Iran's status to the council.

The UN Security Council was expected to debate the issue next week. Tehran's newspapers published news of the agency's decision on the front pages of their editions today, but only the official Persian-language daily Iran had a comment on the latest development.

The IAEA decision, it said in an editorial, was "a message of weakness and failure" by the organisation.

The US has warned of "meaningful consequences" if Iran does not back away from an international confrontation over its nuclear programme to develop nuclear fuel that could be used for weapons.