UN nuclear agency's board votes to censure Iran for failing to fully cooperate

Diplomats say the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s board has censured Iran for failing to cooperate fully with the agency

VIENNA -- The U.N. nuclear watchdog's board on Wednesday censured Iran for failing to cooperate fully with the agency, diplomats said, calling on Tehran to provide answers in a long-running investigation and reverse its decision to bar several experienced U.N. inspectors.

The vote by the 35-member board at the International Atomic Energy Agency's headquarters in Vienna sets the stage for a likely further escalation of tensions between the agency and Iran, which has reacted strongly to similar previous resolutions.

Twenty members voted for the resolution, while Russia and China opposed it, 12 abstained and one didn't vote, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the outcome of the closed-doors vote. The resolution was put forward by France, Germany and Britain.

Censure resolutions by the IAEA board aren’t legally binding but send a strong political and diplomatic message.