IAEA votes to report Iran to UN

The United Nations nuclear watchdog voted yesterday to report Iran to the Security Council over fears it is trying to build atomic bombs. A defiant Tehran then said it would end snap UN inspections of its nuclear plants from today.

In a 27-3 vote, the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board opted to notify the Security Council on Iran but no action by the Council, including sanctions, would be taken before a conclusive IAEA investigative report due next month.

Iran says its nuclear programme is designed solely to generate electricity, not bombs, and claims a sovereign right to make uranium fuel on its own soil. But 18 years of hiding its nuclear work from the IAEA, frequent evasions of IAEA probes since and a move last month to resume suspended nuclear fuel research and small-scale enrichment paved the way to yesterday's decision.

"This sends a further strong message to the Islamic Republic of Iran, a message of concern... and a continuing lack of confidence in Iran's nuclear intentions," Peter Jenkins, the British ambassador to the Vienna-based IAEA, said.

To head off Security Council action, Iran must halt small scale fuel enrichment, preserve IAEA spot checks and give IAEA inspectors full access to nuclear officials, equipment and related military sites, Gregory Schulte, US ambassador to the agency, said. In return, the West has offered Iran trade and political incentives, but two years of talks on a deal have run aground.