The UN nuclear watchdog passed a resolution today requiring Iran to be reported to the Security Council over a failure to convince the agency its nuclear programme was entirely peaceful.
"The resolution was adopted," an IAEA spokeswoman told reporters.
The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) governing board approved it despite Iranian threats to begin enriching uranium if the US-backed resolution, drafted by the EU's three biggest powers, that could eventually lead to UN Security Council sanctions against Tehran was passed.
With 22 votes for the resolution, 12 abstentions and only one vote against, the outcome highlighted the split between rich Western nations and poorer developing nations led by Russia, China, South Africa, which disagree with Washington and Europe on how to deal with Iran.
In what EU diplomats said was a victory for Western efforts to ratchet up the pressure on Tehran, both China and Russia, which had strongly opposed the EU's proposed resolution, abstained. Venezuela was the only country to vote against it.
India, which had opposed the EU resolution, voted for it.
Iran denies seeking atomic bombs and says its nuclear programme is only for generating electricity. However, it concealed its atomic fuel programme from the IAEA for 18 years.
Russia, which is building a $1 billion nuclear reactor at Bushehr in Iran and has much to gain from Iran's plans to develop atomic energy, has long been an opponent of referring Iran's programme to the Security Council.
China, which needs Iran's vast energy resources for its own booming economy, also opposes the Western drive against Iran.
Both countries fear a UN referral will cause the standoff over Iran's programme to escalate into an international crisis.