India plans to abstain from Iran vote

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board is due to hold an emergency session in Vienna on Thursday to consider sending Iran to the UN Security Council for sanctions over its disputed nuclear programme.

The US Ambassador to India, David Mulford, said last week that if India did not oppose Tehran at the IAEA, a landmark India-US nuclear cooperation pact could be in trouble.

"We cannot vote with the US after his comments. We're planning to abstain," one senior official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, informed a news agency.

Although Mulford later said he had been quoted out of context and expressed regret, his remarks triggered a domestic furore with allies in Manmohan Singh's ruling coalition and opposition groups accusing the government of selling out to Washington.

"We are still hoping the crisis won't go to a vote and Iran will get some more time to resolve it through talks," said the official. "But if it does, then Ambassador Mulford has made it easy for us."

The official said India backed a Russian compromise plan under which Moscow would enrich Iranian uranium fuel, a proposal backed by China.

Reluctance from veto-wielding Security Council members Russia and China over imposing economic sanctions on Iran threaten to undermine US and European plans for tough action against Tehran.

Hurt India-US deal?

India and Iran have historically been on good terms.