Nuclear agency OKs resolution to report Iran to UN council
VIENNA -- The UN nuclear watchdog passed a resolution yesterday requiring that Iran be reported to the Security Council for failing to convince the international community that its nuclear program was entirely peaceful.
The International Atomic Energy Agency's governing board approved the resolution despite threats by Iran to begin enriching uranium and curtail IAEA inspections. The resolution was drafted by Britain, France, and Germany and backed by the United States, but it was watered down by the EU three, which had wanted Iran to be referred to the Security Council immediately.
With 22 votes for, one against, and 12 abstentions, the outcome also underscored the split between Western nations and others such as Russia, China, and South Africa, which disagree on how to deal with Iran.
The resolution requires that Tehran be reported to the Security Council at an unspecified date, meaning Iran would probably not be referred until the IAEA board meets in November at the earliest, diplomats say.
The Security Council can impose sanctions on Iran, but Russia and China as permanent members hold veto powers.
EU diplomats, however, said the vote was a victory for Western efforts to ratchet up the pressure on Tehran as China and Russia, which had strongly opposed the EU text, abstained.
Iran denies it is seeking atomic bombs and says its nuclear program is only for generating electricity. But it concealed the program from the IAEA for 18 years.
IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei said the vote was a valid decision supported by a majority but added that the international divide was worrying.
''I was deeply disturbed by the lack of any mention of arms control and disarmament at the [UN] summit in New York [recently]. And today I see also a divided board. That is not the way I should hope we would continue to proceed," he said.
Iran's top delegate to the meeting said the West had failed.
''The United Sates and United Kingdom wanted . . . to send the case to the UN Security Council now. And at this session, they failed," Javad Vaeedi told reporters.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told the ISNA students news agency: ''This resolution has no legal basis and is unacceptable. . . . Iran's answer will be announced after the return of the Iranian team from Vienna and necessary reviews."
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw of Britain said the EU hoped Iran would reinstate the suspension of sensitive nuclear work it ended last month and resume talks with the EU.
