Iran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency will "effectively be suspended" if United Nations sanctions on the country are reinstated, Iran's Supreme National Security Council said in a statement on Saturday.
Britain, France, and Germany launched a 30-day process last month to reimpose UN sanctions, accusing Tehran of failing to abide by a 2015 deal with world powers aimed at preventing it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Earlier this month, Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog said they had reached a deal on resuming inspections at sites including those bombed by the US and Israel, but gave no specifics.
The snapback would reimpose an arms embargo, a ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing, a ban on activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, a global asset freeze and travel bans on Iranian individuals and entities.
Iran refuses to surrender
President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that Iran would overcome any reimposition of sanctions through a so-called "snapback" process, after the UN Security Council voted not to permanently lift sanctions on Tehran.
"Through the 'snapback' they block the road, but it is the brains and the thoughts that open or build the road," Pezeshkian said in remarks carried by state television.
"They cannot stop us. They can strike our Natanz or Fordow (nuclear installations struck by the US and Israel in June), but they are unaware that it is humans who built and will rebuild Natanz," Pezeshkian said.
The Security Council move came on Friday after Britain, France, and Germany launched a 30-day process last month to reimpose sanctions, accusing Tehran of failing to abide by a 2015 deal with world powers aimed at preventing it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran denies having any such intention.
"We will never surrender in the face of excessive demands because we have the power to change the situation," Pezeshkian was quoted as saying by state media.