An Iranian state radio commentary says Tehran intends to reject a proposed UN resolution that calls for it to suspend uranium enrichment or face the threat of international sanctions.

The radio commentary broadcast in Tehran today said Iranians will not accept an "unfair" decision.

Tehran has not issued its official reaction to the draft resolution, which was formally circulated to the full 15-member council late on July 28 and will likely be adopted next week. Statements by state radio are, however, often considered to voice the official line.

Tehran had previously objected to the resolution and says its nuclear program is aimed solely to generate electricity.

State radio also said the draft might not be approved because of opposition on the part of China.

The resolution was drafted after weeks of painstaking talks by Germany and the five Security Council members with veto power -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.

The draft resolution calls on Iran to comply with directives from the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.

If Iran does not comply by August 31, the council would then consider adopting what the draft calls "appropriate measures," diplomatic language for possible sanctions.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said Iran had a clear choice: accept an international package of incentives offered in June -- or face sanctions.

Thanks to Russian and Chinese demands, the text is weaker than earlier drafts, which would have made the threat of sanctions immediate.

Russia's UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, was keen to make that distinction clear. "To describe this resolution as a sanctions resolution is clearly misleading everybody about the purpose and the content of the resolution," he said.

The whole standoff has come about because Western powers suspect Tehran -- despite its denials -- is actually seeking to build nuclear weapons.

U.S. President George W. Bush said on July 28 that Iran would not be allowed to get its wish.

"My message is, 'Give up your nuclear weapons and your nuclear weapons ambitions,'" he said.

PHOTO CAPTION