The decision constitutes a victory for Iran in an international diplomatic tussle to avoid sanctions following the Islamic country’s decision to defy international controls on its nuclear programme by breaking seals at its key nuclear processing plant at Isfahan.

Iran has insisted that its nuclear work is intended only for peaceful purposes although sceptics believe it intends to develop atomic weapons.

The United Nations Security Council may now consider whether or not to impose economic sanctions on Iran for allegedly having breached its obligations under the nonproliferation treaty.

The foreign ministers of SA, Malaysia and Cuba expressed their views after a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in Hermanus at the weekend.

Mottaki travelled to SA to win support for Iran’s nuclear programme, which has brought it into conflict with the US and the European Union.

He updated the three foreign ministers — SA’s Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Malaysia’s Syed Hamid Albar and Cuba’s Felipe Perez Roque — on developments since their visit to Tehran in November last year.

The troika reaffirmed NAM’s support of “the basic and inalienable right” of all states signatory to the treaty on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons (NPT) “to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, without discrimination and in conformity with their safeguards agreements in connection with the NPT”.

Roque said this right included the right to develop enriched uranium to produce nuclear fuel.

The troika hoped issues relating to Iran’s nuclear programme would be resolved within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency.