Report indicates 'full-fledged' Iran nuclear arms bid: EU

(BRUSSELS) - The European Union warned Tuesday that a UN report on Iran's nuclear drive "seriously aggravates" concerns as it indicates the existence of a "full-fledged" atomic weapons programme.

The 27-nation EU will consult internally and with its partners "to work for an adequate reaction" to the report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

The IAEA report "seriously aggravates existing concerns on the nature of the Iranian nuclear programme, since this report puts particular emphasis on information corroborated by the IAEA regarding possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear programme," Kocijancic said.

"Overall these findings strongly indicate the existence of a full-fledged nuclear weapons development programme in Iran," said Kocijancic.

The report "is based on information received from a variety of sources, including from several member states, over a longer period of time," she said.

"(The) IAEA's analysis is that information is internally consistent, credible and has, as far as possible, been cross-checked with information collected by IAEA during investigations in Iran," the spokeswoman said.

Ashton represents six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- in stalled negotiations with Iran aimed at convincing Tehran to freeze its uranium enrichment activities.

Ashton has sent a letter to Iran offering to resume negotitations as long as Tehran refrained from imposing pre-conditions.

Iran's foreign ministry said late last month that Tehran was ready to resume talks focusing on issues of "common ground."

The negotiations have been suspended since the beginning of the year after Tehran insisted that they also include the issues of broader nuclear disarmament in the Middle East and economic cooperation.

The United States and France threatened to extend Western sanctions against Iran following the IAEA report, on top of existing UN, US and EU punitive measures.

The IAEA released on Tuesday reams of what it called "credible" intelligence suggesting Tehran had worked on developing nuclear weapons.

But Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that his country "will not budge an iota" from its nuclear path.

Ahmadinejad rejected allegations that Iran's civilian nuclear programme was being used to build a nuclear arsenal, saying, "We don't need an atomic bomb," in a speech broadcast by state television.