(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-10-30 14:57

But if Iran answers all outstanding questions, and the agency can verify that Iran's program is peaceful, ElBaradei said that "could create the conditions for a comprehensive and durable solution."

ElBaradei also reiterated that he had no evidence that Iran was working actively to build nuclear.

But France's defense minister said that his country's intelligence indicates otherwise. "Our intelligence, corroborated by that of other countries, gives us the opposite feeling," Herve Morin said in comments aired on France's LCI television.

The statement was the latest signal from Paris that the French position on the matter is hardening under the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy, elected in May.

The United States, Britain and France are preparing to debate a third set of sanctions against the Islamic republic in response to Tehran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment. Iran has rejected two UN Security Council resolutions requiring it to halt its enrichment program.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad said the five veto-wielding members of the Security Council along with Germany have begun negotiations in their capitals on a new resolution targeting Iran.

The goal is to get an agreement on suspending enrichment and answers to issues raised by ElBaradei, Khalilzad said.

"We believe that the Iranian nuclear issues is ... a defining issue of our time," he said. "It cannot be acceptable for it to develop the capability to produce nuclear weapons."

Last week, the Bush administration announced a new set of sanctions targeting the Iranian military and state-owned banking systems in hopes of raising pressure on the world financial system to cut ties with Tehran.

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