Reuters: The European Commission urged Iran on Monday against resuming frozen sensitive nuclear work which the West believes could help it develop a bomb. A spokesman for the European Union executive told a press briefing: “The Commission very much hopes for a negotiated solution. We would also hope that no steps would be taken over the coming days to endanger such a negotiated solution.”

AP: A top Iranian official says the country has told the U-N’s nuclear watchdog it will resume some nuclear activities. He tells state-run radio, Iran has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency to instruct its inspectors to break the seals at a nuclear conversion facility so technicians can restart uranium reprocessing.

The Times: Britain warned Iran yesterday to back off from its “unnecessary and damaging threat” to resume part of its nuclear programme. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said that if Iran were to resume its uranium conversion programme, talks between Tehran and the European Union that have been going on for two years would probably be halted.

AP: Iran set a deadline Monday for European negotiators to submit proposals to Tehran before it resumes some of its frozen nuclear activities, the speaker of parliament said. Such
a move could lead to the Europeans calling for Iran to be hauled before the U.N. Security Council. The United States wants the world body to sanction Iran over its nuclear program, contending it wants to build nuclear bombs.

AFP: Germany urged Iran Monday not to take any “unilateral steps” on uranium enrichment that could endanger negotiations with the European Union on its nuclear program.
“The German government calls on Tehran not to undertake any unilateral steps that would threaten the agreement from Paris,” a foreign ministry spokesman said, referring to a pledge Iran made in November to suspend uranium enrichment.

Reuters: Iran said it would resume nuclear fuel activities on Monday after the European Union failed to respond in time to its offer of new talks. Two years of hard bargaining over a nuclear programme that Tehran had kept secret for 18 years appeared to be heading towards a crisis that could see Iran’s case sent to the United Nations Security Council for possible sanctions.