Islamic regime wants to brief U.N. on nuclear plans

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Sunday President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wanted to brief the U.N. Security Council about his country's civilian nuclear plans, which the West says are a covert attempt to make atom bombs.

The five permanent members of the Council -- the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia -- plus Germany are considering imposing new sanctions on Iran over its nuclear ambitions, which Tehran insists are entirely peaceful.

"The president of Iran plans to speak in a possible meeting of the Security Council on Iran's nuclear program to defend the right of the Iranian nation to use peaceful nuclear technology," state TV on Sunday quoted government spokesman Gholamhossein Elham as saying, without giving further details.

Iran's IRNA news agency quoted Elham as saying Ahmadinejad planned to attend "if the Security Council has a meeting on Iran's nuclear program." The Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed the news to reporters but gave no more details.

Iran has ignored United Nations demands that it halt uranium enrichment, a process Western nations say Tehran is mastering so it can produce atom bombs. Iran, the world's fourth biggest oil exporter, insists its aim is nuclear power generation.

The Security Council imposed in December a package of limited sanctions including a ban on the transfer of sensitive nuclear technology or know-how. It threatened further steps if Iran failed to meet its February 21 deadline to suspend enrichment.

The six world powers are considering new measures but both China and Russia have balked at the idea of financial sanctions.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy told a news conference in Abu Dhabi that new sanctions should be imposed on Iran for failing to meet Security Council demands.

"Our position has not changed but it is based on two words: firmness and dialogue," he said according to Arabic translation.

"Our aim is to find a solution based on negotiation," he added when asked about the possibility of military action, a step the United States has not ruled out if diplomacy fails. He said military action would destabilize the region.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini repeated Iran's call for negotiations to end the standoff.

"We have always suggested that if the other side has any ideas or solutions which are in the framework of regulations and which guarantee Iran's rights, they can discuss them and the best place for that is the negotiating table," he said.

A draft of new measures being considered against Iran would expand a list of people, firms and groups whose assets would be frozen or with whom trade would be restricted, such as Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the state-owned Bank Sepah.