The European Union has 48 hours to decide one of the biggest foreign policy issues confronting it: whether to report Iran to the United Nations over its nuclear programme and risk an increase in Tehran's nuclear activities; or delay and face charges of a climb-down on nuclear proliferation.

The decision rests in the hands of the foreign ministers and heads of government of the UK, France and Germany, the three countries that have negotiated with Iran over the past two years. But the issue is set to be resolved this week at the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog.