A US intelligence report which says that Iran halted attempts to build a nuclear bomb four years ago could help reduce tensions with Tehran, the head of the UN atomic agency has said.

Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the report agreed with his agency's findings that there was "no evidence" of a nuclear weapons programme.

 

"This new assessment by the US should help to defuse the current crisis," he said.

"At the same time, it should prompt Iran to work actively with the IAEA to clarify specific aspects of its past and present nuclear programme as outlined in the work plan and through the implementation of the additional protocol."

After a meeting with Saeed Jalili, Iran's senior nuclear negotiator, Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said that Iran had promised to answer all of the UN agency's remaining questions.

 

However, Israel questioned the findings of the US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), saying that efforts to curb Iran's nuclear programme should continue regardless.

 

And France and Britain joined the US in saying international pressure must be maintained on Iran and that they were willing to push ahead with a plan to impose sanctions on Iran for defying UN Security Council demands that it stops enriching uranium.