The United States welcomes the resolution of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which urges Iran to clarify its nuclear program, a government official said in Washington on Friday.

"We welcome this resolution. We commend the excellent work of the IAEA," deputy spokesman of the State Department Adam Ereli told a news briefing.

Ereli noted that the resolution made it clear that Iran's cooperation has not been fully or timely.

"We would join in the resolution's call for Iran to take all the necessary steps on an urgent basis to resolve all of the outstanding questions that the IAEA has, particularly the highly enriched uranium and low-enriched uranium contamination, and the nature and scope of Iran's P-2 centrifuge program," he said.

The IAEA's resolution drawn up by Britain, France and Germany, was adopted in Vienna on Friday. It notes that Iran was slow to give information about its centrifuge program and in some cases the information has been "incomplete and continues to lack the necessary clarity."

The resolution called for Iran to do more to help the IAEA complete the related investigation within a few months.

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi criticized the resolution, but said his country would meet its commitments to the UN nuclear watchdog.

(Xinhua News Agency June 19, 2004)