U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Saturday the vote by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to report Iran to the United Nations Security Council sent a "clear message" to the country.

"We hope the Iranian regime will heed this clear message. The world will not stand by if Iran continues on the path to a nuclear weapons capability," Rice said in a statement.

"The strong majority in favor of the resolution, representing all regions of the world, underscores the concern of the entire international community about Iran's nuclear program," Rice said.

Earlier on Saturday, the 35-member IAEA board voted to report Iran to the United Nations Security Council for its suspected nuclear weapons activities. Iran has threatened retaliation by undergoing full uranium enrichment activities.

Source: Xinhua