IAEA adopts resolution on Iran's nuke plan

The vote came after days of haggling at International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters in Vienna that set Russia, China and non-aligned states, which support Iran's right to peaceful nuclear technology, against the EU and the United States, which charge that Iran's civilian nuclear programme is a cover for the secret development of atomic weapons.

At an organisation, which prides itself on consensus decisions that show international unity, the vote was 22-1, with 12 abstentions including Russia and China on the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors, IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told reporters.

The resolution explicitly states for the first time since the IAEA began investigating Iran in February 2003 that the Islamic Republic is in "non-compliance" with international safeguards of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), mainly for hiding sensitive atomic activities for almost two decades.

A finding of non-compliance is an automatic trigger for taking the matter to the Security Council, which can impose sanctions as it, unlike the IAEA, has enforcement powers.

But referral to the Security Council would come only after a report on Iran by IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei, which he will probably make to the next board meeting in November.

ElBaradei said the message of the resolution was that there is still room for diplomacy.

"I am encouraged that at the end of the day the issue has not been referred to the Security Council, precisely to give time for diplomacy and negotiation.

"So all of us have to exploit this window of opportunity from now until November," when the IAEA board of governors is to meet again, following the session that ended Saturday, ElBaradei said.