The Board of Governor of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) voted Thursday to shut down or freeze 23 of 55 projects with the Islamic Republic, suspected of pursing a covert nuclear weapons program.
"Moves like this could affect our cooperation with the IAEA," Manouchehr Mottaki said.
He urged the agency to act within its jurisdiction and refrain from making politicized decisions.
The decision by the 35-nation Board of Governors fell in line with the UN Security Council's decision December 23 to introduce sanctions. Iran is defiant and has consistently claimed it is pursuing peaceful nuclear development since it resumed uranium enrichment in January 2006.
The five permanent Security Council members are discussing additional sanctions against Tehran, which ignored the deadline to end enrichment last month. They could include a travel ban, freezing companies' and individuals' assets, an arms embargo and trade restrictions.
In a report submitted to the council February 23, IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei said Iran was continuing nuclear research and working to build up its enrichment capacities by adding more centrifuges to its underground nuclear center in Natanz, and is building a heavy-water reactor.
But Iran's ambassador to the IAEA said Thursday the country would continue uranium enrichment activities despite the UN nuclear agency's decision to cut technical aid to the country.
"None of the suspended projects are linked to Iran's enrichment activities, and the uranium enrichment program will be carried as part of an agreement of guarantees with the IAEA [where Tehran reaffirmed its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]," Ali Asgar Soltaneih said in Vienna.
