The European Union and the United States pressed the UN atomic watchdog today to bring Iran's nuclear programme before the Security Council.
Diplomats said Britain, France and Germany hoped to submit a draft resolution this week to the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after Iran resumed sensitive nuclear work last month.
Several other EU countries had expressed reservations about the resolution which would see Tehran reported to the UN Security Council, but after a meeting of members in Vienna today, they reached a consensus was reached.
"There is no point in delaying it [a Security Council report]," an EU diplomat said.
"The real problem is Russia. It will be difficult to convince the Russians." At a breakfast meeting with EU foreign ministers in New York, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged them to consider delaying their plan.
Mr Lavrov made the appeal on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, saying it was vital to maintain the unity of the international community to put pressure on Iran. He did not, however, rule out backing a referral at a later date.
Other countries are adopting a similar stance to the Russians. Most of the non-aligned developing countries on the IAEA board are sympathetic to Iran's insistence it has a right to run a peaceful nuclear programme to generate electricity.
Iran denies it is seeking atomic bombs and IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei has called on Tehran and the EU trio to avoid confrontation and return to the negotiating table.