IAEA clears Iran resolution, US hard to please

Iran escaped UN censure over its nuclear programme but Washington, which accuses it of seeking an atomic bomb, said on Monday it reserved the right to take the case to the Security Council on its own.

The IAEA passed a resolution approving Iran’s suspension of sensitive nuclear activities as part of a deal between Tehran and the EU. Crucially, and in line with Iranian demands, the resolution described the freeze as a voluntary, confidence-building measure and not a legally binding commitment.

But US envoy Jackie Sanders told the IAEA’s board of governors that Washington reserved the right to go it alone. ‘‘Quite apart from the question of how this board chooses to handle these matters, of course, the United States reserves all of its options with respect to Security Council consideration of the Iranian nuclear weapons programme,’’ she said. Sanders also warned companies against exporting weapons-related equipment to Iran.