Iran said it was ready to remove UN seals from some unclear sites on Monday and the decision has drawn criticism from the West.

Iran's decision was "the wrong step in the wrong direction and is a cause of very serious concern," warned Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, whose country currently holds the European Union (EU)'s presidency.

Iran confirmed on Sunday it would implement the decision to resume nuclear fuel research on Monday and called on the EU to avoid the language of threats.

"Seals on Iran's nuclear research sites will be removed tomorrow," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi said.

The spokesman insisted that nuclear research should not be viewed as equal to the actual production, and the research will be under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iran said it had informed the IAEA of its decision to resume nuclear fuel research, which had been suspended for nearly two anda half years.

In response, IAEA chief Mohamed Elbaradei said it was important for Tehran to keep suspension of all uranium enrichment related activities in place in order to build confidence for talks.

(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2006)