The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) cautioned yesterday an attack on Iran over its refusal to freeze programs that could make nuclear weapons would be "an act of madness," in indirect warnings to the US and Israel.

 

IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei also said Iran could be running close to 3,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges by the end of next month -- a number agency officials have described as the point of no return in the start of a large-scale program.

 

ElBaradei spoke at the end of a meeting of his agency's 35-nation board, a gathering that focused on Iran's refusal to heed UN Security Council demands that it freeze activities that could serve to make nuclear arms and provide long-sought answers on suspicious aspects of its nuclear program.

 

He also urged Iran to offer a "self-imposed moratorium" on enrichment, describing it as a "good confidence-building measure" that could launch negotiations on the standoff.

 

But the chief Iranian envoy to the meeting asserted his country would never suspend enrichment - the key issue of Security Council concern.

 

Even while calling for a negotiated solution, both the US and Israel -- which has been threatened with extermination by Teheran -- have refused to dismiss outright the possibility that they might target Iran militarily if it refuses to back down on enrichment and other areas of concern.

 

But ElBaradei described any use of force as "an act of madness ... (that) would not resolve the issue."

 

"The next few months will be crucial," he said, adding: "Iran is building a capacity, a knowledge" of enrichment that is irreversible, while not providing "an assurance that this is a peaceful program."

 

"Even if Iran wants to have a weapon they are three to eight years away," giving ample time for both sides to move from confrontation, ElBaradei said, citing unnamed intelligence sources for his estimate. But, "the longer we delay, the less option we have to reach a peaceful solution," he added.

 

Declaring yesterday that Teheran had become the "master of uranium enrichment" Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, Iran's chief IAEA envoy, said his country will never suspend its program.

 

Ali warned that Iran may reconsider basic cooperation with IAEA inspectors if it was hit with harsher UN sanctions.

 

(China Daily June 15, 2007)