VIENNA, Austria (AP) – Iran moved closer to referral to the U.N. Security Council over its atomic program Friday, but a U.S.-Egyptian dispute about linking the issue to a Middle East nuclear-free zone – and indirectly to Israel – threatened to delay a decision.

Diplomats at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation board were still hopeful late Friday that the gathering would decide on referral when it reconvenes Saturday.

A majority of board members back referral, but the timing remained in doubt late Friday after the United States and Egypt tangled over the issue of indirectly linking long-standing Arab demands that Israel, generally considered a nuclear power, give up such arms with demands on Iran to dispel suspicions about its atomic ambitions.

Diplomats familiar with the issue said France, Britain and Germany were trying to mediate between Cairo and Washington.

The diplomats, who demanded anonymity in exchange for discussing the negotiations, said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Aboul Gheit also were involved in trying to iron out language acceptable to both sides.

European diplomats expressed annoyance with both sides as negotiations dragged into the late evening and language on a nuclear-free Middle East was first inserted, then deleted and finally reinserted in compromise language.

A Western diplomat at the meeting said the United States felt strongly about not linking its ally Israel to nuclear concerns in the Middle East when it considers Iran the real threat in the region.

Egypt, whose support of the resolution is key to swaying other Arab board members to join in backing it, was looking to make the linkage to satisfy broad domestic concerns, a senior European diplomat said.

Iran claims its program is peaceful and aimed only at generating electricity; the United States and European countries fear it is trying to develop nuclear weapons.

In a last-minute effort to avoid referral, Iran warned it would stop considering a proposal to move Tehran’s uranium enrichment program to Russia.

If the Security Council becomes involved, “there will be no way we can continue with the Russian proposal,” said Javad Vaeidi, the deputy head of Iran’s National Security Council.

Officials in Tehran have previously suggested that referral could endanger the proposal. But Vaeidi’s comments were the first to state outright that Iran would stop considering the plan, which is meant to remove from Iranian soil technology that could be used to make nuclear weapons.

The proposal has had broad international backing.

Russia’s chief IAEA delegate, Grigory Berdennikov, denied any threat to the Kremlin proposal.

“Our offer is still on the table and the negotiations will continue,” he said Friday.

Vaeidi acknowledged that referral seemed inevitable, and said it would have two results: “First to stop diplomacy and second to kill the Russian proposal.”

Vaeidi also reiterated earlier threats that Iran will resume full-scale work on uranium enrichment and stop honoring an agreement giving IAEA inspectors broad powers to conduct short-notice inspections of his country’s nuclear program.

“I advise them not to make a historical mistake,” he said, alluding to nations actively backing referral.

Support for Iran at the Vienna meeting appeared to be limited as the clock ticked down on the issue of referral. Cuba, Venezuela, Syria and a few other countries represented at the IAEA board meeting remained opposed. India was said to be leaning toward supporting referral.

Beyond the issue of a Middle-East nuclear free zone, drafts being debated late Friday that were shown to The Associated Press contained only minimal changes to earlier ones and the key demand – referral of Iran to the council – remained.

Diplomats said support for Iran had shrunk among board members since Russia and China swung their support behind referral at a meeting with the United States, France and Britain – the other three permanent council members – earlier in the week.

Still, that support was conditonal.

Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Wang Guangya told reporters in New York that he did not want the Security Council to be used to put pressure on Iran, but instead to support the IAEA as it tries to defuse the standoff over Iran’s suspect nuclear program.

And even if the issue is referred, the Security Council would not take up the issue before next month – a demand made by Russia and China in exchange for their support.

Washington has waited years for international suspicions over Iran’s nuclear ambitions to translate into support among board members.

Only a simple majority is needed to approve the text, but the United States and its backers have held off pushing for earlier referral in hopes of building support for the measure.

Support has grown since Jan. 10, when Iran stripped IAEA seals from enrichment equipment and announced it would restart the program it says it needs to generate nuclear power.

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Associated Press reporter Palma Benczenleitner in Vienna contributed to this report.

AP-ES-02-03-06 1909EST