Iran halts seat bid to U.N. nuke panel

VIENNA — Iran on Thursday withdrew its bid at the last minute for a seat on the decision-making board of the same U.N. nuclear agency probing its activities for evidence that Tehran may be interested in making atomic weapons, officials said.

With three countries competing for two regional seats, an Arab diplomat said, Tehran pulled out “for reasons of solidarity” with the two other candidates, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, shortly before a 151-nation meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency took up the issue.

But a Western diplomat from a country critical of Iran’s refusal to heed U.N. Security Council demands to curb its nuclear activities said Tehran likely gave up the attempt to siton the 35-nation board because it lacked support.

Although Iran says its nuclear agencies are purely peaceful, many International Atomic Energy Agency member countries fear it harbors aspirations to make nuclear weapons and would be expected to vote against its candidacy.

While Iran has sought such a position previously, it had always withdrawn its candidacy well before the 151 members of the International Atomic Energy Agency approve members for the board.

This time, however, Iran kept its hat in the ring until the assembly postponed consideration of the item to give the three countries a chance to agree on which would bid for the two seats.

Iran insists it does not seek atomic weapons but has been under the agency’s investigation since revelations of secret nuclear activities eight years ago.

It is under four sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions for refusing to stop uranium enrichment - a pathway both to nuclear fuel and fissile warhead material - and other actions that have raised concerns about its ultimate goals.

The board peruses Iran’s activities four times a year and set into motion U.N. Security Council involvement, and ultimately U.N. sanctions, by referring Tehran to the council for its nuclear stance four years ago.

Eleven seats from different regions were to be decided Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Iranian defense minister criticized Russia on Thursday for banning all sales of S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran.

Gen. Ahmad Vahidi’s comments came a day after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issued a decree on the ban, which also prohibited exports of tanks, aircraft and sea vessels to Iran.

Vahidi said Russia was at risk of humiliating itself for caving to international pressure by banning the sales of the sophisticated systems that could boost Iran’s ability to defend itself against airstrikes.

“We think Russia should show it has an independent stance in choosing its relations with other countries as well as on international issues,” he said in an interview with Iranian state TV.