UN calls on Iran to freeze nuclear enrichment plans

The UN nuclear watchdog called on Iran yesterday to immediately halt activities related to uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to make atomic weapons.

The resolution demanded Iran suspend all "enrichment-related activities" and said the agency's governing board regretted Iran's suspension of enrichment as promised last year had fallen far short of what had been expected.

France, Britain and Germany co-sponsored the toughly worded resolution, which was unanimously adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) board of governors after a week of closed-door haggling over the wording.

The United States failed to get the Europeans to report Iran to the UN Security Council, or even include a "trigger" clause for a report in November. But it fully endorsed the resolution.

"The clock is now ticking on Iran to fully comply with the resolution and abandon its nuclear weapons programme or face referral to the UN Security Council," US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said a statement.

The resolution also called on Iran to grant full and prompt access to IAEA inspectors and provide them with any further information needed before the next IAEA meeting on November 25.

The IAEA has been investigating Iran's nuclear programme for two years. Although it has found many concealed activities that could be used to develop weapons, it has found no "smoking gun" that would prove US allegations of Iranian bomb plans.

"The board has sent a very powerful message to Iran," IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei told reporters.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said it was "most important that Iran suspends all activities regarding enrichment."

Enrichment is legal under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) but it is the most controversial part of Iran's programme since it can produce material for weapons.

Iran denies any plan to develop nuclear arms and insists its programme is intended only to produce electricity. It says its enrichment facilities would be used only to make low-enriched fuel for power plants, not highly-enriched fuel for bombs.

Iran chief delegate Hossein Mousavian said Iran did not have to comply with the demand, since the resolution distinguished between legal obligations and voluntary actions aimed at building confidence like the enrichment freeze.

US Under Secretary of State John Bolton told Reuters in a telephone interview from Washington that Mousavian's comments were "pettifoggery" - squabbling over petty details.

"The ball is entirely in Iran's court. If they're prepared to give up their nuclear weapons programme as Libya did, then we have possibilities to proceed," he said, adding that failure to do so would bring Tehran to the Security Council.