IAEA on talks about Iran’s nuclear fuel program

Members of the IAEA board held negotiations with Iranian Vice President Gholamreza Aghazadeh as some Western countries threaten to refer Tehran's nuclear issue to the UN Security Council, diplomats in Vienna said on Wednesday.

Aghazadeh, who arrived in Vienna on Tuesday, has held talks with some diplomats of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries within the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board, diplomats here said.

EU negotiating trio Britain, France and Germany, circulated a draft resolution on Tuesday to the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors, demanding the IAEA to report the Iranian nuclear issue to the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly.

A majority vote, or 18 out of 35 members of the IAEA board, is required to pass the resolution.

Iran has threatened to quit the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and resume uranium enrichment if Tehran's nuclear case is referred to the Security Council for possible sanctions.

Iran is a member of the IAEA, but it is not a member of the IAEA board. There are 14 NAM countries within the decision-making IAEA board.

The United States and the EU suspect Iran's nuclear fuel program is aimed at developing atomic weapons. Tehran denies the charge, saying its program is for the peaceful purpose of generating electricity.

An IAEA source told Xinhua on Tuesday that the board might vote on the EU's draft resolution on Friday. However, a diplomat in Vienna said on Wednesday that the IAEA board meeting might be postponed till Saturday.