Iran today avoided the threat of being reported to the UN Security Council over its nuclear program, which the United States says is a cover for building an atomic bomb.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, passed a resolution approving Iran's week-old suspension of sensitive nuclear activities as part of a deal with the European Union, a senior diplomat said.
The resolution described the freeze as a voluntary, confidence-building measure and not a legally binding commitment.
IAEA chief Dr Mohamed ElBaradei
Its passage meant that Tehran, which denies seeking the bomb, had achieved its immediate objective of avoiding being hauled before the Security Council for possible sanctions.
Washington believes Iran is playing games with the international community and wants to see it referred to the Council.
The resolution capped five days of hectic back-and-forth negotiation in which Iran first raised new demands and then backed down again, at one point throwing the EU deal into doubt.
The dispute focused on Tehran's request to exempt some 20 centrifuges from the November 14th agreement in order to continue research with them. Centrifuges are devices that spin at supersonic speeds to enrich, or purify, uranium for use as fuel in nuclear reactors.
Highly enriched uranium can be used in an atom bomb, although Iran insists its aim is purely to generate electricity.
IAEA chief Dr Mohamed ElBaradei said Iran had now withdrawn the exemption request, and IAEA inspectors today installed surveillance cameras to monitor the centrifuges.
"This is clearly a positive step in the right direction. It would help mitigate international concern about the nature of Iran's program, and over time should help to build confidence ... I call naturally on Iran to sustain that suspension," he told reporters.