India bans atomic exports to Iran

India has banned the export to Iran of all material, equipment and technology which could contribute to Tehran's nuclear program, the government has announced.

The restrictions bring India, a longtime Iranian ally, into compliance with the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolution passed in December that imposed limited sanctions on Tehran for its refusal to stop enriching uranium, which could be used to produce nuclear fuel or materials for a nuclear bomb.

India's Trade Ministry said it is banning the "direct or indirect export and import of all items, materials, equipment, goods and technology which could contribute to Iran's enrichment–related, reprocessing or heavy water related activities."

The government's announcement came as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N. nuclear watchdog body, was putting the finishing touches on a report expected to confirm that Iran is continuing its uranium enrichment activities, a finding that could trigger harsher U.N. Security Council sanctions.

Indian officials have in the past said that they do not want Iran to develop nuclear weapons, but at the same time stressed that more time was needed for diplomacy to resolve the Iran nuclear crisis.

Communist political parties crucial to the parliamentary majority of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's coalition have accused the government of bowing to pressure from the United States to act against Iran.

The U.S. and its allies suspect that Iran is using its nuclear program to produce an atomic weapon – charges Iran denies, saying its aim is to generate electricity.