U.N. Agency Slaps Iran, but Gently
VIENNA — The United Nations atomic energy agency voted Saturday to condemn Iran's nuclear activities, but the divisive vote was less than a clear victory for the U.S. administration's effort to prevent Tehran from acquiring atomic weapons.
The agency found Iran in noncompliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and required that the country be reported to the U.N. Security Council at an unspecified date.
One country, Venezuela, voted against the U.S.-backed European resolution, and 12 nations, including Russia and China, abstained. India was one of 22 supporters, but only after being pressured by the United States.
"I wouldn't say it's a triumph, but it gives Iran a signal of our determination," a European diplomat said.
Iran would be the fifth country to be referred to the Security Council for suspicions about the nature of its nuclear program. The others are North Korea, Libya, Romania and Iraq. The Security Council has the power to censure Iran and ultimately impose sanctions.
The resolution, approved by the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, was the less severe of two draft measures circulated in recent days by the European Union in that it left open the timing of the Security Council referral.
The EU and United States proposed the softer resolution with the goal of gaining a consensus on the board, but they did not succeed. Votes are rare on the board, which prefers to approve resolutions by consensus. The last vote occurred in 2003 when North Korea was reported to the Security Council. However, that was a far less divisive issue, with just two countries abstaining.
Saturday's action produced a mixed outcome both for Iran and for the European Union and United States. The U.S. had lobbied hard for more than two years for the Security Council referral, and its first choice had been to send Iran to the council immediately.
Nonetheless, the resolution approved Saturday was far stronger than any previous IAEA resolution on Iran.
"This is a significant step forward in the international effort to isolate Iran and a setback for Iran's nuclear strategy," R. Nicholas Burns, the U.S. undersecretary of State for political affairs, said in a conference call with reporters.
Gregory Schulte, the U.S. ambassador to international organizations in Vienna, said the majority support showed that "Iran's activities, its pattern of deception and its confrontational approach are of great concern to the world community."
