VIENNA, Austria – Washington and its European allies will forgo pushing for Iran’s referral to the U.N. Security Council later this week, giving Russia more time in persuading Tehran to give up technology that could make nuclear arms, diplomats and officials told the Associated Press yesterday.

For the Americans and the European Union, the plan holds the promise of success even if Iran continues to reject the proposal that would move its uranium enrichment program to Russia.

The acceptance of that plan, in theory, would deprive the Iranians of the chance to enrich uranium to weapons grade, suitable for use in the core of nuclear warheads.

But if the Russians fail to win over the Iranians, Washington and the Europeans hope Moscow and other key board members of the International Atomic Energy Agency now opposed to Security Council referral will moderate their opposition.

The comments by the diplomats and American and European government officials came three days before the IAEA board meets to ponder options on Iran that at least formally still included a decision on Security Council action.

But the diplomats and officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the strategy on Iran is confidential, said referral was now off the table at the meeting.

Instead, they said Washington as well as Britain, France, and Germany – representing the European Union – would probably settle for a statement critical of recent IAEA findings showing the Iranians in possession of what appeared to be drawings of the core of an atomic warhead and of other worrying nuclear activities.

In Washington, a State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, also suggested the focus had shifted from an all-out push for referral, saying: “We’re encouraging Iran to get back to the negotiating table with the EU-3 at this point.”

Iran says it only wants to enrich to lower levels to generate energy. Still, it has resisted the plan to move enrichment to Russia since it was floated several weeks ago, insisting it has the right to all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle.

Iran in August resumed uranium reprocessing, which is one step before uranium enrichment.

European Union foreign ministers urged Iran yesterday to live up to “clear obligations” to allow U.N. inspectors to see its nuclear facilities. On Sunday, Iran’s parliament voted to require the government to block any in-depth U.N. inspections of its nuclear facilities if Iran is referred to the Security Council.