Iran Gets Nuclear Timetable

The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, called on Iran last night to agree by September to nuclear inspectors conducting new and more intensive investigations into its alleged weapons programme.

Although Mr Straw, who held talks with the Iranian foreign minister, Kamal Kharazzi, insisted September should not be interpreted as a deadline, it increases the pressure on Iran. Neither the US nor Britain has set a timetable before.

The foreign secretary, who is on a three-day Middle East visit, told journalists on his plane before arriving in Tehran: "I don't see why they can't sign up by September."

A British official travelling with him added: "That is a reasonable timetable."

The US and Britain fear that Iran is using legitimate civilian nuclear developments to disguise a banned nuclear weapons programme, a charge that Tehran denies.

The International Atomic Energy Authority, a United Nations organisation, wants Iran to sign a protocol allowing its inspectors to carry out more detailed investigations than permitted at present, but Tehran has not agreed.

Mr Kharazzi said: "We have nothing to hide and are ready to cooperate." But, he added, Iran had complied with its commitments. If countries wanted it to meet new obligations, those countries would have to spell out the consequences of these obligations and what new obligations they themselves would take on.

Mr Straw coupled his call for Iran to sign with a threat that non-compliance could jeopardise an EU trade and cooperation agreement currently being negotiated with Iran.

Iran may still decide that having a nuclear bomb is more important. If it does, there is not much the international community can do. British officials insist military action is not being contemplated. "There is no plan B," one said.

The foreign secretary also said that if Iran were to comply, sanctions imposed by some western countries against the export of some nuclear equipment to Iran could be lifted.

This is Mr Straw's fourth visit in two years, and the most fraught yet. The US has no diplomatic links with Iran and Britain has adopted the role of go-between.

Iranian newspapers yesterday heavily criticised the US and Britain on the nuclear issue. Jomhoori-e-Islami, in a front-page editorial, described Mr Straw as "a politically corrupt person".

Iran is also angry at US and British support for student protests. Tony Blair's remarks in the Commons last week almost saw the visit blocked, and the British ambassador, Roger Dalton, was called to the Iranian foreign ministry to receive an objection.

Mr Kharazzi said: "We are not satisfied with his [Mr Blair's] position. We expect him to make a distinction between a peaceful student demonstration, which is a democratic right, and vandalism." He told Mr Straw that Mr Blair had not expressed sympathy when anti-globalisation demonstrators in the west had rioted.

Questioned at a press conference, Mr Straw said Mr Blair's words were "not in any sense gratuitous interference in the affairs of Iran".

Also on the agenda for last night's talks was the fate of al-Qaida suspects believed to be held in Iran. "We have some ideas of who they have," Mr Straw said.

Among those thought to be held are Saad bin Laden, one of Osama bin Laden's sons; Suleiman Abu Ghaith, Bin Laden's spokesman, and Saif al-Adil, the organisation's head of security. Mr Kharazzi confirmed that al-Qaida suspects were being questioned, but refused to say how many or give their identities.

Mr Straw is due to meet the Iranian president, Mohammad Khatami, today.