NEW DELHI, Jan 25: The United States and Israel are pressing India to vote against Iran at the IAEA’s board meeting on Feb 2, the day when Israel’s national security advisor (NSA) will brief his counterpart here about the alleged threat Tehran poses to Tel Aviv.

Sources say that Israeli adviser Giora Eiland will be on a two-day India visit from Feb 1 to revive the strategic dialogue after a four-year gap. He will hold talks with Indian national security adviser M.K. Narayanan.

In remarks that seem to have embarrassed New Delhi, US Ambassador to India David Mulford told Press Trust of India that failure to vote against Iran at the IAEA could kill the civil nuclear energy deal being discussed between Washington and New Delhi

“We have seen the remarks attributed to the US ambassador in India concerning a possible vote on the Iran nuclear issue at the IAEA,” responded the Indian foreign ministry spokesman.

“The position that India will take on this issue at the IAEA will be based on India’s own independent judgement. We categorically reject any attempt to link this to the proposed India-US agreement on civil nuclear energy cooperation, which stands on its own merits.”

Mr Mulford told PTI that Washington wanted the nuclear energy deal to be ready when President George W. Bush visited India in March, after which it would become much less practical.

Washington also felt that ideas put forward by India on separation of its civilian and military nuclear establishments had not met the “test of credibility”.

“We have made it known to them (India) that we would very much like India’s support because India has arrived on the world stage and is a very very important player in the world,” Mr Mulford said.

“If it (India) opposes Iran having nuclear weapons, we think they should record it in the vote,” he said.

The US envoy said an “observation” had also been conveyed to India that if New Delhi decided not to vote for the resolution, “the effect on members of the US Congress with regard to (India-US) civil nuclear initiative will be devastating”.

“I think the Congress will simply stop considering the matter. I think the initiative will die in the Congress not because the administration would want it,” Mr Mulford said, five days after Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran held talks with US Under-Secretary of State Nicholas Burns on the subject.