Israel Contradicts Us Findings on Nuclear Iran

Iran claimed today that its peaceful nuclear intentions were clear after US spy agencies concluded that Tehran had stopped its nuclear weapons program in 2003.

Asked about the US national intelligence estimate (NIE) report that has undermined the hawks in Washington, Iran's foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, told state radio: "It's natural that we welcome it when those countries who in the past have questions and ambiguities about this case... now amend their views realistically. The condition of Iran's peaceful nuclear activities is becoming clear to the world."

Israel, however, publicly contradicted the NIE findings. Its defence minister, Ehud Barak, said Iran had restarted its military nuclear program.

"It's apparently true that in 2003 Iran stopped pursuing its military nuclear program for a time. But in our opinion, since then it has apparently continued that program," Barak told Army radio.

In its assessment, which was made public yesterday, the US NIE on Iran, a consensus of 16 intelligence agencies, concluded that Iran had suspended its attempt to build a nuclear weapon. The unclassified summary marked an abrupt u-turn in the US view that Iran was intent on acquiring nuclear weapons, undercutting administration warnings about Iran's intentions.

As recently as October, the US president, George Bush, was warning that a nuclear-armed Iran could lead to a third world war, while the vice-president, Dick Cheney, threatened Tehran with "serious consequences" if it did not abandon its nuclear program.

"We are familiar with this American assessment," Barak said. "There are differences in the assessments of different organizations in the world about this, and only time will tell who is right."

Barak, the head of the Labour party, is a former Israeli army chief of staff and a former prime minister. Israel has backed US-led efforts at the UN to impose sanctions on Iran for its refusal to halt uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to develop nuclear weapons.

Israel has not ruled out military action against Iran, but says it prefers a diplomatic solution. Asked if the new US assessment reduced the likelihood of a US military strike on Iran, Barak said it was "possible".

However, he said: "We cannot allow ourselves to rest just because of an intelligence report from the other side of the earth, even if it is from our greatest friend."

The new US assessment says Iran continues to enrich uranium, and could still manufacture a nuclear weapon some time between 2010 and 2015.

"Tehran's decision to halt its nuclear weapons program suggests it is less determined to develop nuclear weapons than we have been judging since 2005," said the report.

Critics of the administration's policy on Iran have seized upon the report to argue against military action.

The intelligence finding removes, "if nothing else, the urgency that we have to attack Iran, or knock out facilities", said Chuck Hagel, a Republican senator. "I don't think you can overstate the importance of this."

The Democrat leader of the US senate, Harry Reid, urged the White House to adjust its policy and pursue "a diplomatic surge" to engage with Iran.

The US intelligence estimate is unfortunate timing for the Bush administration because it could take the steam out of its efforts to push for further sanctions against Iran at the UN.