"I call on the Iranian authorities to choose cooperation and trust by seriously examining" an offer from the European Union and "returning to their commitments to suspend activities linked to the production of fissile material," Chirac said in a speech to French diplomats based around the world.

"We appeal to Iran's spirit of responsibility to reestablish cooperation and trust, otherwise, and I would regret this, the Security Council would have no other choice than to take up the issue," he said.

Iran has gone against the wishes of the European Union and the United States by resuming work on making reactor fuel that could also be used to make nuclear weapons, but insists that it wants to continue talks on guaranteeing that its atomic program is peaceful.

The so-called EU-3 -- Britain, France and Germany -- which have been negotiating with Iran, have demanded a total halt to fuel cycle work in exchange for a package of trade, security and technology incentives, a proposal that Tehran has rejected.

Iran points out that as a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) it has the right to carry out such work for peaceful purposes.

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