TEHRAN, January 11, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Iran insisted Wednesday, January 11, it would not give up its nuclear program despite being roundly condemned by world leaders over its resumption of nuclear fuel research, risking possible enforcement action by the United Nations.

"This is a sensitive issue. We cannot give up our rights. No Iranian will be ready to give up our rights, and they should know that we will remain firm," Iran's former influential president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"With wisdom we will get our rights, and if they create any trouble for us, they will regret it in the end, and Iran will emerge triumphant," said Rafsanjani, who heads the Expediency Council, Iran's top political arbitration body.

Iranians gathered at Tehran university campus for Rafsanjani's speech marking the Muslim feast of `Eid Al-Adha.

Iran on Tuesday announced the end of a two-year suspension of nuclear fuel research, escalating a long-running stand-off with the West over its nuclear program.

The move drew condemnation from the United States and the European Union, concerned that Iran's civilian nuclear program could serve as a cover to build an atomic bomb.

The European Union said Iran's move was "continuously eroding international confidence in the peaceful nature of its nuclear program and is of serious concern to the entire international community."

McClellan said that "there's no other choice" but to refer the matter to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

The United States and Britain, however, said there were no plans to use military force against Tehran, which insists its nuclear program is solely to meet its electricity needs.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said that if Iran breaches its international obligations, "there's no other choice" but to refer the matter to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

US President George W. Bush's spokesman said the US leader has "made it pretty clear" that he has no plans to use military force against Iran, although "he never takes options off the table."

Bush threatened in an interview with the Israeli television in August of last year that he could consider using force to press Iran to give up its nuclear program.

The White House said Tuesday, January 10, it was "in close contact" with its partners, including Britain, Germany and France, discussing a response to Iran's removal of UN seals from equipment that is being used to enrich uranium.

For the time being, McClellan said the Bush administration is working with the international community to resolve the issue by peaceful and diplomatic means and intends to continue doing so.

The US administration did not say if the talks focused on convening an emergency meeting of the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog group.

Nor did it say if the US will throw all its weight behind attempts to persuade the Security Council to take up the measure after two fruitless years of European-led negotiations to persuade Iran to abandon uranium enrichment.

"I think we are entering a period of intense diplomatic activity on this question," said a senior State Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"There are intense discussions at the political director level, and I will expect we will see more and more discussions at the minister level."

By removing seals on equipment inside the Natanz nuclear plant located in central Iran, Tehran showed its determination to at least partly resume its uranium enrichment activities.

IAEA chief and Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei had underlined that there was no evidence Iran was developing nuclear weapons.