Iran assured the world again on Sunday that it had no immediate plans to resume uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to make atom bombs, but said it might resume making parts for the enrichment equipment.
Angered by a tough U.N. resolution criticizing it for less than full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has threatened to reconsider its commitment to the suspension of enrichment activities.
But, in a calibrated response which diplomats believe aims to send a tough message without sparking a major crisis, Iran said it may merely suspend its pledge to stop building uranium centrifuge parts -- a commitment with which Tehran had not fully complied anyway.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi, echoing comments by Iran's top nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani on Saturday, said Iran would continue to refrain from injecting uranium hexafluoride gas into centrifuges which spin at high speed to produce enriched uranium.
"Right now, there is no discussion about resuming enrichment at all," Asefi told a weekly news conference.
Iran says its nuclear program is geared solely to producing electricity. Low enriched uranium can be used as fuel for nuclear reactors, but highly enriched uranium can be used to make atomic weapons.
Iran agreed to suspend enrichment last October to restore international confidence following revelations that it had kept secret sensitive nuclear research for nearly two decades.
The suspension, brokered in talks with Britain, Germany and France, was extended in February to cover the manufacture and assembly of enrichment centrifuge parts.
Iran says the European trio had, in return, pledged to help close Iran's case at last week's IAEA meeting in Vienna.
Instead, the three countries co-sponsored a tough resolution which "deplores" Iran's poor cooperation with the IAEA.
No longer committed
Asefi said the Europeans' failure to respect their side of the bargain meant "we are not committed to our voluntary undertakings such as the freezing of the building and assembly of centrifuge parts."
Britain, France and Germany have expressed annoyance that Iran is still making centrifuge parts, despite pledging not to. Friday's IAEA resolution again urged Iran to stop this work.
"What they're trying to do is send a message of displeasure without rocking the boat too much," said one Western diplomat in Tehran. "They hadn't stopped making centrifuge parts anyway so it just confirms the status quo."
A European diplomat said that while the Iranian response to the IAEA resolution was "carefully calibrated," it would not help Tehran's cause. "It's still a backward step in terms of cooperation and patience is wearing thin."