Downing street says Iran still a 'serious issue' despite new US intelligence assessment

By Rich Bowden, M&C Staff Writer Dec 5, 2007, 12:22 GMT

U.S. President George W. Bush arrives for a news conference in the Brady press briefing room at the White House in Washington DC USA on 04 December 2007. Bush was questioned about Iran\'s nuclear ambitions and discussed the latest National Intelligence Estimate about the state of Iran\'s nuclear program.. EPA/MATTHEW CAVANAUGH

(M&C) - The prime minister's office has said the issue of Iran remains serious despite an intelligence report in the US which claims the Islamic Republic halted its nuclear weapons programme in 2003.

A new National Intelligence Estimate in Washington yesterday found there was "no evidence" to suggest Iran still maintained a goal of seeking to build a nuclear weapon.

Responding to the report a spokesman for the prime minister said, "We need to examine the detail of this, but in broad terms the government believes it confirms that we were right to be worried about Iran seeking to develop nuclear weapons, it shows the sanction programme and international pressure had an effect and it tells us that the intent was there and the risk of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon remains a very serious issue."

The spokesman went on to say similar technology used in the Islamic Republic's civil nuclear programme could be used to "produce weapons-grade uranium".

"Iran's civil nuclear programme is continuing and once it masters the technology to enrich uranium for civilian purposes it can readily use the same technology to produce weapons-grade uranium," he said.

The spokesman added that Britain would seek further talks "with our key international allies and will be looking to discuss it with the UN".

Earlier shadow foreign secretary William Hague described the US intelligence report as "ambiguous".

"It would be a great mistake for the international community to say 'oh, thank heavens for that, we don't have to worry about this at all'," he said to BBC Radio 4.

"Iran is continuing in defiance of two [UN] security council resolutions, continuing to build centrifuges and to enrich uranium."

"This report says it could develop a nuclear weapon from 2010 onwards. So this problem has not gone away. It has perhaps changed in its nature with this report but it has not gone away," Mr Hague added.