[JURIST] Iran [JURIST news archive] confirmed Monday that it will restart its nuclear fuel research program, a decision which may lead European Union and US officials to refer Iran [JURIST report] to the UN Security Council for sanctions. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said Iran would resume its program when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) [official website] was ready to supervise the removal of the seals that the UN watchdog put on the country's nuclear facility two years ago while discussions regarding the research took place. The IAEA said, however, that letters sent by Iran regarding its plan to restart the nuclear research left key questions unanswered and requested further information [IAEA press release]. Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, called Iran's announcement "the wrong step in the wrong direction and is a cause of very serious concern." Iran claims its research efforts are peaceful and that it has the right to conduct such a program on its own territory. Reuters has more.