The threat came a day after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted a resolution seeking a complete halt to the enrichment programme and threatened to report Iran to the UN council if it did not.

Describing the demand as illegal, a senior Iranian official said no decision had been taken to broaden the scope of Iran's freeze on the enrichment of uranium.

Under Iran's international treaty obligations, it is allowed to enrich uranium, so any suspension has to be voluntary and cannot be compelled by outsiders, said the Guardian.

Declaring that Iran already had the technology to produce nuclear bombs---a view shared by many experts--- Mr Hassan Rohani said Tehran remained open to negotiations on the issue. While Iran would not enrich uranium for the moment, it would carry on with ancillary operations which come under the IAEA freeze demand.