The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) decided to postpone the referral of Iran's nuclear issue to the UN Security Council on Thursday, thus offering more time for a breakthrough of the Iranian nuclear issue.

The UN nuclear watchdog made the decision during a meeting of its 35-nation board of governors after the European Union (EU) agreed to give more time for breaking the current Iran nuclear deadlock.

Speaking for the EU presidency, British Ambassador to the IAEA Peter Jenkins said that at the request of some IAEA members, the EU, the leading nuclear negotiator with Iran, agreed to give more time for a Russian compromise proposal which would see Iran undertake uranium enrichment activities on the Russian soil.

But he warned Iran against making any "unilateral moves" to increase its atomic activities.

The EU had "acceded to the request of several board members who have asked for more time for diplomatic dialogue on the future of Iran's nuclear program," Jenkins told reporters.

However, he added, Iran needs "to implement the confidence-building measures" for which the IAEA has called, namely to cease uranium conversion work.

"Iran should not conclude that this window of opportunity will remain open in all circumstances," he warned.

He said the EU "sees grounds for deep concern" that Iran "has admitted to having in its possession a document which was supplied" by an international black market and which is a guide to making the explosive core of an atom bomb.

Britain reserves the right to convene a special session of the IAEA ahead of the next scheduled meeting in March to consider referring Iran to the UN Security Council, said Jenkins.

Meanwhile, the United States also warned that referral would happen soon if Iran did not meet its non-proliferation obligations.

"The board cannot and should not have unlimited patience if we seek to re-establish confidence in Iran's program," US ambassador Gregory Schulte said. "Iran must understand that the report to the Council is required and will be made at a time of this board's choosing."

After the IAEA's decision to put off taking Iran to the UN Security Council, talks on a Russian proposal to allow Iran to conduct uranium enrichment in Russia instead of in Iran, in order to keep Tehran from obtaining nuclear technology crucial to making atom bombs, will now take center stage.

Iran has refused to give up enrichment on its territory but Iranian ambassador to the IAEA Mohammad Akhondzadeh praised the "positive trend" over the "last couple of weeks" and said Iran was "prepared to follow the path of negotiation with other countries."

Earlier, IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei reiterated that the inspection of Iran's nuclear program needed support from Iran and hoped it could enhance transparency of its nuclear plans.

More transparency was "indispensable" for the agency to clear up issues still open, ElBaradei said at the opening ceremony of the two-day IAEA board of governors meeting.

During the comprehensive IAEA surveillance of Iran's nuclear program, strengthening dialogue among all parties concerned was the best way to resolve disputes, he said.

He confirmed that Iran was continuing to conduct uranium conversion activities at its Isfahan plant but the IAEA was monitoring them.

ElBaradei also confirmed that Teheran had recently given the IAEA documents on its nuclear program and the IAEA was currently evaluating this information.

The IAEA chief called on Iran and all parties concerned to resume talks over the country's nuclear issue, saying, "Every effort will be made so that the dialogue between Iran and all concerned parties can be resumed."

"It should be moving toward a comprehensive solution that addresses both Iran's concerns about its right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purpose and the concerns of the international community about the peace nature of these activities," he said.

Source: Xinhua