Iran has accused the United States and its European allies of creating an artificial crisis by trying to promote a UN Security Council resolution demanding a freeze on the country's nuclear enrichment programme.
Iranian's ambassador to the UN, Javad Zarif, said that what he called the confrontational approach was regrettable because there was a multitude of possibilities for finding a diplomatic solution.
Russia and China have already expressed reservations on the proposed resolution because it raises the possibility of sanctions and even military action against Iran, as a last resort.