The International Atomic Energy Agency’s governing board approved the resolution despite threats by Iran to begin enriching uranium.
The resolution was drafted by Britain, France and Germany and backed by the United States, who had wanted Iran to be immediately referred to the Security Council, but it was watered down by the Europeans.
With 22 votes for, one against and 12 abstentions, the outcome highlighted the split between Western nations and others such as Russia, China and South Africa, which disagree with the EU three and Washington on how to deal with Iran.
Iran’s chief delegate to the IAEA meeting said the lack of consensus was a failure for the West.
“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 journalists.
Iran denies it is seeking atomic bombs and says its nuclear programme is only for generating electricity. But it concealed its atomic fuel programme from the IAEA for 18 years.
The resolution requires Tehran to be reported to the Security Council at an unspecified date, meaning Iran would probably not be referred to the Security Council until the IAEA board meets in November, 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 increase the pressure on Tehran as China and Russia, which had strongly opposed the EU’s proposed resolution, abstained.
“This resolution shows the international community’s concern about Iran’s non-cooperation regarding the non-proliferation rules,” French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said in a statement.
“At the same time, the text keeps open the possibility of negotiations which we must take advantage of, without delay, in order to put forward proposals which could re-establish trust.”
Matt Boland, the spokesman for the US mission, said that the fact India backed the resolution showed New Delhi shared the concern over Iran’s ‘established pattern of deception’.
Russia is building a $1 billion nuclear reactor in Bushehr in Iran and has much to gain from Iran’s plans to develop atomic energy. Moscow has long been an opponent of referring Iran to the Security Council.
China, which needs Iran’s vast energy resources for its booming economy, also opposes the Western drive against Iran.
Both countries fear a UN referral will cause the standoff over Iran’s programme to escalate into an international crisis.
The resolution, which diplomats said was prepared in close consultation with Washington, said Iran’s ‘many failures and breaches’ of its nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards Agreement constituted ‘non-compliance’ with the pact.
It said there was an ‘absence of confidence’ that Iran’s atomic programme was exclusively peaceful and it gave rise to questions ‘within the competence of the Security Council’.
Tehran has threatened to retaliate.
Diplomats said on Friday the Iranian delegation had shown some board members and IAEA General Director Mohamed ElBaradei two unsigned letters informing the IAEA what would happen if the EU resolution was approved.
One letter said Iran would begin enriching uranium. The second says Tehran will end short-notice inspections under a special NPT protocol.—Reuters