Iran has threatened to end diplomatic efforts to end the standoff over its nuclear weapons programme if it is referred to the United Nations Security Council.
The threat was reported by Iranian state television, attributing the comments to Tehran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani.
Earlier, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, Gholamreza Aghazadeh, said there is no legal basis for Iran to be hauled before the UNSC over its disputed nuclear programme.
He added that he still thought a diplomatic solution to the crisis could be found.
Mr Aghazadeh was responding to the agreement by the United States, the European Union, China and Russia that the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, should take the matter to the UN.
However, Britain's Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, said he and his counterparts decided the council would take no action until March, after it has received the formal report from the IAEA.
The five permanent Security Council members, Britain, US, France, China and Russia met in London last night to co-ordinate their position ahead of an emergency board meeting of the IAEA on Thursday.
