Unless a solution is found, UN sanctions would come into force first, followed by EU sanctions next week.
European foreign ministers had tried to avert the council’s step by urging Iran to resume negotiations with the US; to cooperate with the UN’s nuclear watchdog the IAEA, and to account for its highly enriched uranium stockpile.
Speaking at the UN on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said: “The United States has betrayed diplomacy, but it is the E3 (Britain, Germany and France) which have buried it.”
“The negotiation with the United States is in fact a pure dead end,” Aragchi added.
Iran is legally obliged under the nuclear treaty to allow inspections.
It has been in talks this week with the IAEA to find a way forward, but has warned that a return of sanctions will put that in jeopardy.
On Friday, the IAEA confirmed that inspections of Iranian nuclear sites had resumed this week after a hiatius following Washington and Israel’s strikes.
Western powers and the IAEA say they are not convinced that Iran’s nuclear programme has purely peaceful purposes.
Iran strongly insists it is not seeking nuclear weapons, and that its programme is solely a civilian one.
Russia on Friday signed a $25bn deal with Iran to build four nuclear power reactors in southern Iran, Iranian state-run IRNA news agency reported.