National interest to decide Iran stand: PM

Permanent members decide to refer Iran to UN council

With five permanent members of UN deciding to refer the Iran nuclear issue to the Security Council, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said India would take a stand on the basis of the draft resolution to be placed at the upcoming meeting of the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) meet.

At a meeting with the Left leaders, the Prime Minister said India's decision would be based on "national interest."

"The PM explained that the government of India will take its stand in the interest of the country. India's position will be articulated once the text of the resolution is available to us," PM's Media Advisor Sanjay Baru said after the meeting.

CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat and senior CPI leader D Raja, too, said they would study the draft before arriving at a conclusion.

Two days ahead of the IAEA meeting to discuss Iran's nuclear programme, key powers agreed to refer the issue to the UN Security Council but decided to put off any action until March in a compromise with Russia and China, who favoured giving more time to Tehran.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw announced the decision in London yesterday after talks with Iran earlier in the day failed to produce a breakthrough.

Foreign ministers of the five permanent members and France met on Monday night to co-ordinate their position ahead of the IAEA board meeting. If the board refers the issue to the Security Council, Iran may face sanctions.

The foreign ministers' statement called for "an extensive period of confidence-building" by Tehran, following its recent decision to break IAEA seals from its nuclear facilities.

The ministers decided the council would take no action until March when it would receive an IAEA report. While Europeans and the US wanted Iran to be referred to the Security Council as soon as possible, Russia and China argued for more time. This was reflected in the joint statement which said the Security Council would "await the IAEA director-general's report to the March meeting of the IAEA board... before deciding to take action to reinforce the authority of the IAEA process."

On February 16, Russia and Iran will resume talks on a compromise proposed by Moscow. Iran is accused by the US and EU of aiming to produce nuclear weapons but Tehran insists its nuclear programme is only for civilian energy.

Iran had yesterday requested separate talks in Brussels in the hope of averting a UN referral.

Javad Vaeedi, deputy head of Iran's supreme National Security Council, said: "As far as we are concerned, it has been a positive outcome."

"To be frank, we didn't detect anything new in their approach," said John Sawers, a senior British diplomat at the talks.

Iran insists it should be allowed to develop nuclear technology but other key powers do not want it to produce enriched uranium, which can be used in nuclear weapons as well as power plants.

Meanwhile, observing that India would take a decision "as a sovereign country" on how it voted at the IAEA. the US said it was closely engaged with New Delhi regarding Tehran's nuclear programme.

"India will decide as a sovereign country and will make a decision, it's own decision, on how it votes on the issue at the IAEA meeting in Vienna on Thursday," State Department acting spokesman Adam Ereli said in Washington yesterday.

"We have been engaged with them ...Closely and in a productive way about our shared concerns over Iran's nuclear programme", he added.

Asked whether India had notified Washington that it would not support Iran's referral to the Security Council, Ereli said, "Not that I'm aware of but I think the secretary (of state Condoleezza Rice) spoke to this extensively in London."