After final negotiations at an extraordinary meeting in Vienna on 4 February, the Council of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) decided to transfer Iran's nuclear dossier to the UN Security Council 'for information'.
The resolution, adopted by 27 votes in favour, 3 against (Venezuela, Cuba and Syria) and 5 abstentions, calls on Iran to suspend uranium enrichment immediately, and to improve its cooperation with the IAEA.
"You can issue as many resolutions of this kind as you want, and play around with them, but you cannot stop Iran's progress," said Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
To confirm its intentions, on 6 February Teheran announced its decision to resume its uranium enrichment activities, and to stop all 'voluntary' cooperation with the IAEA. The Iranian government added that it would no longer implement the additional protocol of non-proliferation, which has allowed UN inspectors to carry out investigations in Iran, for three years.
But Russian and Western leaders insisted that they are still open to negotiations. The next deadline is 6 March, when Mohamed El Baradei, the director of the IAEA, will re-submit a report to the Security Council on the Iranian nuclear programme.
If, by then, Iran does not comply with its obligations, the Security Council could "exert renewed pressure" on Teheran in order to reinforce the IAEA's authority.
Shortly after the decision made in Vienna, Russia reiterated its proposal for the partial relocation of Iran's uranium enrichment activities outside the country.
"This proposal may be key in obtaining a negotiated solution," said Franz-Walter Steinhmeier, the Head of German diplomacy, speaking on behalf of the EU-3 composed of France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
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