In the absence of any official statement to the resolution, it was the press, both reformist and conservative, that took up the matter, urging the authorities to expel the ambassadors of the three nations that initiated the resolution, namely Canada, Australia and Japan, get out of the NPT and revise its relations with all the nations that approved the resolution.

The resolution, adopted without a vote, a procedure that the IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming described as "very unusual", was presented by Japan, Canada and Australia.

Iran’s delegation at the Board, led by Ali Akbar Salehi, its Ambassador at the IAEA, walked out of the meeting, stating that "such an offensive text risks to kill an otherwise constructive process".

The Iranian walkout was a protest against the resolution and against the procedure", an IAEA spokesman explained.

Mr. Salehi also accused the United States, Britain, France, Germany for their "extreme position" that, he said, was "nothing new".

"I reiterate that in the weeks ahead, we have a lot to do in regard with Iran’s nuclear projects, as I have to submit to the Board (of Directors) a precise report concerning the state of Iran’s cooperation with the resolution", he stressed at the end of the meeting.

Noting that urging the Islamic Republic to sign "immediately and unconditionally" the additional protocols is one of the "most humiliating clauses" of a resolution that denies the Majles and other decision-making organs of the nation to exercise their rights, the hard line evening daily "Keyhan" said Saturday that the "least pride and persuation" the officials can show toward this action is to immediately expel the ambassador of the three countries that formulated the resolution and not allow them to return until their countries presents full apology to the Iranian people and government.

"Yesterday (Friday) resolution of the Board of Directors of the IAEA leaves not doubt about the fact that the recent cacophonies over the nuclear activities of our nation is a well calculated plot aimed at toppling the Islamic Republic of Iran, using the NPT as a pressure tool", added the daily that reflects the view of Mr. Khameneh’i, the leader of the Iranian clerical regime.

"It should be accepted that the correct way was the one North Korea chose", the paper said.

While the state-run, leader-controlled Tehran Radio run a commentary on the same line, "Yas No", the official organ of the Islamic Iran Participation Front, a coalition of groups and parties that back the embattled President Mohammad Khatami and also control the parliament, advised the government to "revise" its relations with all the countries that supported the resolution.

"The (IAEA) resolution was adopted under heavy pressures applied by the United States on other countries, including the European Union and this is exactly what makes it partial, discriminatory and unusual", said Mr. Morad Veisi of Yas No, adding that "not only the Iranian people would stand up to the discriminatory decisions of IAEA, but would also consider revising relations with all the nations that supported the resolution".

"However, one must also ask why the position of Iran has degraded from its peak of the golden period of after second Khordad (26 May 1997, marking the surprising victory of Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Khatami) to present situation where even nations such as Japan, Canada and Australia sides against the Islamic Republic?", Mr. Veisi added in his commentary.

But Russia, the country that is constructing Iran’s first nuclear powered electrical plant in the Persian Gulf of Booshehr called Saturday on Tehran to comply with the resolution.

"This resolution is a serious and respectful appeal by the agency for Iran to cooperate with IAEA...and do so without delay", Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak told the independent Russian news agency Interfax.

"Observing that the resolution is not a threat to Iran, Mr. Kislyak hoped that by accepting the resolution, the Islamic Republic could remove all the existing problems it has with the IAEA", added from Moscow a correspondent for the Persian service of the BBC.

The United States and Israel, joined by the EU, alleges that Iran’s civilian nuclear programs are a front for building atomic bomb aimed at destroying the Jewish State.

But both Tehran and Moscow rejects the accusation, insisting that all atomic projects are for civilian and peaceful purposes, mainly producing electricity.