As the Security Council gears up for a vote on a draft resolution for new sanctions over Iran's nuclear defiance, Mohammad Khazaee told a press luncheon: "The resolution will harm the credibility" of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

If the IAEA's credibility is undermined by the Security Council, Khazaee said: "The big question would be that in future: which credible agency is going to monitor the nuclear activities of other countries?"

Sponsors of the draft said that an IAEA report on Iran's suspect atomic program released last week bolsters the case for new sanctions as the agency could not confirm that the Iranian atomic drive was peaceful.

"Our strategy is to cooperate with the IAEA and we have all of us to help the agency to stay credible," he added, arguing that the Islamic Republic had resolved all outstanding questions raised by the agency so far.

The Iranian envoy also reiterated that Tehran would not comply with the latest council resolution which he said was based on allegations and "not on the IAEA report."

"We believe that from the legal point view, there is no basis to consider the Iranian nuclear program in the Security Council," Khazaee said.

Khazaee also dismissed as based on "fabrications" intelligence provided by the United States to the IAEA suggesting Iran conducted weaponization studies.

"Documents shown to Iran on February 15 (during talks with the IAEA) are fabrications," the envoy said, saying that the documents list names of people that "have not been involved in the (Iranian) nuclear program" or "people who do not exist."

In its report released Friday, the nuclear agency described this issue as "a matter of serious concern and critical to an assessment of a possible military dimension to Iran's nuclear program."

Western members of the Security Council said the vote on a third set of sanctions against Iran was likely to take place Friday. They voiced confidence that they had enough votes to ensure passage, which requires nine votes and no veto from the five permanent members.

The draft includes an outright travel ban by officials involved in Tehran's nuclear and missile programs and inspections of shipments to and from Iran if there are suspicions of prohibited goods.

It also calls on states to exercise vigilance in committing to financial support for trade with Iran.

The United States and its allies suspect that Tehran aims to build nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and aimed at generating electricity.

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