Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may have lost important international backing but he can still count on strong domestic support, if recent rallies and demonstrations are anything to go by. Yesterday he lambasted western powers at a gathering in Tehran and said Iran would not be intimidated.

One retaliatory measure which Iran could take immediately if referred to the Security Council would be to end snap inspections by the IAEA of its nuclear sites. Tehran also appears set to accelerate research activities. It was the resumption of these after a two and a half year moratorium that prompted the EU to seek a UN crackdown. Whatever decision the agency takes today there will still be time to resolve the standoff. No action will be taken until the IAEA chief delivers his final report on March 6, giving Iran a month to show its not trying to develop nuclear weapons.

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