The United States expects the UN Security Council to take up Iran's nuclear program this week, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said yesterday.

"The Security Council will be taking the matter up this week," McClellan told reporters.

"Our focus is on, as a first step, looking at a strong presidential statement, spelling out very clearly what the regime in Iran needs to do and what the international community expects the regime to do," said McClellan.

The international community is not going to tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran, the spokesman said.

Due to Iran's rejection of returning to a moratorium on its enrichment-related activities, the International Atomic Energy Agency on Wednesday handed over its chief Mohamed ElBaradei's report on the Iranian nuclear issue to the UN Security Council soon after the agency's board of governors concluded a seasonal meeting.

Iran has vowed never to give in to pressures and bullies.