Iran calls for atomic talks

EHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Sunday diplomacy was the only way to resolve the impasse over its nuclear program but that it would not reverse its widely criticized decision to resume atomic research after a break of more than two years.

Iran raised the stakes in the dispute last week by removing UN seals to gain access to equipment that purifies uranium, which can be used for power or, if highly enriched, in bombs.

The move prompted the United States and the European Union's three biggest powers -- Britain, France, and Germany -- to say the time had come to refer Iran's case to the UN Security Council, where Tehran could face sanctions.

"Diplomacy is the only clear answer to the current situation," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told a weekly news conference.

"There is no legal basis for referring Iran to the Security Council. But if that were to happen Iran is not afraid."

Britain will host talks between Foreign Ministry officials from the United States, Russia, China and the EU3 on Monday to discuss Iran's nuclear case.

Asefi said the meeting should avoid using threatening language against the Islamic Republic.

"Better results will definitely be achieved by resorting to negotiations and using respectful language rather than using the language of threats and intimidation," Asefi said.

Iran says it has no intention of building nuclear arms and has a clear right as a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to develop a full nuclear program for peaceful purposes.

IRREVERSIBLE STEPS

Asefi declined to clarify whether Iran planned to carry out small-scale uranium enrichment -- the most sensitive part of the atomic fuel cycle