With its decision earlier this week to break the seals at facilities where it has the capacity to create weapons-grade uranium, Tehran's mullah regime intensified its nuclear dispute with the United Nations and the international community. The latest twist in the spat has created a major test for European diplomats who, for the past year, have taken the lead on negotiating a peaceful settlement with Tehran. With each new snub from Iranian leaders -- and they seem to be coming daily now -- concerns that those diplomatic efforts have failed grow.

Among those joining the chorus of leaders condemning the Iranian government for flaunting agreements with the European Union and provoking the international community is German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The foreign minister said Iranian leaders knew they had crossed a diplomatic "red line," behavior which could not continue "without consequences."

Steinmeier said he'll meet in Berlin on Thursday with the foreign ministers of Britain and France, the other members of the so-called European Union troika that has negotiated with Iran -- to see "if there is any basis for further talks." British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday said the issue should clearly be referred to the UN Security Council.

Is the Security Council the next stop?

Politicians in Berlin are divided over the best way is to handle Iran -- should talks be suspended or broken off completely?

"I don't know what the three foreign ministers will decide tomorrow," Gernot Erler, a member of the Social Democrats and Germany's deputy foreign minister, told German public radio, "but I believe they cannot continue to negotiate without an Iranian assurance that there will be no concrete enrichment activity." The parliamentarian said it was "not unlikely" the issue would be referred by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the UN.

Gert Weisskirchen, the foreign policy spokesman for the Social Democrats in parliament, said any further actions needed to be discussed within the IAEA. He also suggested there could still be hope for a Russian offer to supply enriched uranium to Iran. Although Tehran flat out rejected the offer, which would reduce the chances of Tehran getting the tools it needs to create a nuclear weapon, talks could still resume between Moscow and Iran in mid-February. Weisskirchen said he remained skeptical of bringing sanctions againsts Iran at this time.

Others expressed less patience. Eckart von Klaeden, the foreign policy spokesman for Christian Democrats in parliament, pleaded for sharper measures. "It's my opinion that the EU can't resume talks with Iran," he told SPIEGEL Online. The west, he said, must unite behind a single strategy and Russia and China must also be brought on board. However, von Klaeden appeared to be more open to the idea of sanctions. "For now, I'm not going to rule out any form of pressure to be used against Iran," he said. The most important thing "is that we present a common front against Tehran."

A year of failed talks

Iran announced last week that it would revive its nuclear program after a two-year voluntary freeze imposed to build trust in negotiations with Europe. Iran insists on its right to a civilian atomic energy program.

But the Europeans, Americans, Russians, Chinese and Israelis all accept one fact: The regime in Tehran is working on building a nuclear bomb, even if it continually emphasizes that it is only interested in the civilian use of nuclear power.

It's a situation that causes nightmares -- and not just for western leaders. A mullah-republic in possession of a nuclear bomb would radically change the power structure in the region and spark a nuclear arms race between Iran, the Arab countries, Israel and possibly Turkey.

After more than a year of gradual mediation by the EU three -- and the election in June of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" -- the US has leaned on Europe to refer Iran to the United Nations Security Council for sanctions or other actions. So far the EU has insisted on bringing Iran back into compliance with its non-proliferation agreements peacefully -- although active negotiations between the EU and Iran have been suspended since August.

But with Ahmadinejad's statements and Tehran's insistance on restarting its nuclear research programs intensifying, pressure is mounting on the EU troika to recommend that action be taken after its meeting on Thursday.