The US and Israel welcome a decision by the UN nuclear watchdog to censure Iran over the construction of its Fordo enrichment plant.

"Our patience and that of the international community is limited, and time is running out," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a stern warning to Tehran.

"If Iran refuses to meet its obligations, then it will be responsible for its own growing isolation and the consequences," added Gibbs hours after an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolution against Iran.

An IAEA resolution demanded Tehran to stop uranium enrichment and immediately freeze the construction of its newly revealed Fordo nuclear facility.

In a similar move, Israel's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "Israel welcomes the decision on Iran reached today during the meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's board."

The resolution, which was drafted by the P5+1 — the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany — and was passed in a 25-3 vote with six abstentions, calls on Iran to immediately halt the construction of its second enrichment facility.

Israel called on the international community to set a timetable for Iran to either implement the resolution or face heavy sanctions.

Tehran has rejected the IAEA resolution, the first one passed against Iran since 2006, as a 'politically motivated' measure aimed at depriving Iran of its basic rights.

RZS/SS/MMA