"If the Iranian 'nuclear file' is passed to the UN Security Council, the world order will face global problems," Iranian government spokesperson Gholam Hossein Elham told a news conference.
He reiterated that Iran would protect its right to conduct peaceful nuclear research, and appealed to the International Atomic Energy Agency not to politicize the issue.
"It is important that international norms did not fall victim to political demands imposed by some countries," the Iranian official said in the wake of recent statements made by John Bolton, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, who said that Iran could face "painful" consequences if it continued to conduct its isolationist policies.
"Such threats should not force a nation to capitulate, because they are groundless," Elham said. "Iran will maintain its course."
The Iranian statement comes on the eve of a five-day meeting in Vienna of the 35-nation IAEA board.
Iran's "nuclear file" remains top of the agenda, and will be discussed during a session on Wednesday, an IAEA source said earlier. The IAEA could decide to refer Iran's nuclear program to the UN Security Council, which has the power to impose sanctions if Tehran is found to be in breach of its international commitments.
