UN fears over N-plant sabotage

The UN nuclear agency said yesterday that Iran must address concerns about its suspected atom bomb research, one day after Tehran alleged that "terrorists" had infiltrated the organisation to sabotage the Islamic Republic's uranium enrichment plants.

Britain added to the pressure on Iran before talks between the European Union's foreign policy chief and Iran's nuclear negotiator, saying Western nations would step up sanctions against Tehran if negotiations failed.

Israel has issued more threats to attack Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons, injecting fresh urgency to stalled efforts to resolve the long-running nuclear dispute with Iran by diplomatic means.

Iran says its nuclear programme is peaceful, but its refusal to curb work which can be used to build atom bombs has drawn increasingly tough Western sanctions limiting its oil exports.