Iran 'could Have Bomb in 10 Years'

Iran could have a nuclear bomb within 10 years, the Bush administration's head of intelligence said today.

John Negroponte, the US national intelligence director, said Iran remains the world's principal state sponsor of terrorism.

"They seem to be determined to develop nuclear weapons," he said.

"We don't have a clear-cut knowledge but the estimate we have made is some time between the beginning of the next decade and the middle of the next decade they might be in a position to have a nuclear weapon, which is a cause of great concern."

Mr Negroponte told the BBC's Today programme that lessons had been learned from the use of intelligence in the run-up to the war on Iraq.

Western nations - especially the US - fear Iran is enriching uranium to create a nuclear weapon, not for civil energy use as Tehran claims.

Mr Negroponte's comments come after members of the UN security council agreed "far-reaching proposals" to persuade Iran to halt its nuclear programme.

The foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, announced in Vienna last night that Iran would be offered the opportunity to reach agreement with the international community through negotiation and cooperation.

But it could expect "further steps" to be taken by the security council if it refused to come to the negotiating table, Mrs Beckett said.

"We are prepared to resume negotiations should Iran resume suspension of all enrichment and reprocessing activities, as required by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and we would also suspend action in the security council.

"We have also agreed that if Iran decides not to engage in negotiation further, steps would have to be taken in the security council.

"So there are two paths ahead. We urge Iran to take the positive path and consider seriously our substantive proposals, which would bring significant benefits to Iran. We will now be talking to the Iranians about our proposals."

She was speaking following talks between the foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the security council - Britain, the US, France, Russia and China - plus Germany, aimed at finding a diplomatic breakthrough with Iran.

Britain, France and Germany have been pressing for measures designed to end the deadlock. The US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, announced on Wednesday that the US would join direct talks with Iran if it halted nuclear activities.

But Russia and China, which both wield vetoes at the security council, have made clear they would not accept any implicit threat of the use of force.