The United States on Monday called on all governments being involved in nuclear projects in Iran to immediately freeze those projects on grounds that Iran had failed to comply with a major anti-proliferation treaty.

Stephen Rademaker, the US assistant secretary of State for arms control, told the UN General Assembly's disarmament committee that nations should adjust national policies following the resolution adopted on Sept. 24 by the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) that Iran should be reported to the UN Security Council because it is not complying with the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.

"We hope that all governments will take note of the board's finding of noncompliance and adjust their national policies accordingly," he said. "We think it is self-evident, for example, that in the face of such a finding, no government should permit new nuclear transfers to Iran, and all ongoing nuclear projects should be frozen."

"Should Iran decline to do so, however, the (IAEA) Board of Governors will have no alternative but to fulfill its obligation under the IAEA statute and the recently adopted board resolution to report the matter to the United Nations," the US official added.

Analysts here noted Rademaker's remarks as an indirect reference to Russia who is currently helping Iran to build its first nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr, which is slated to begin operations in late 2006 and will generate 1,000 megawatts of electricity.

Rademaker did not mention Russia by name, and later declined to elaborate on his remarks in any way.

"We hope, and I think other members of the (IAEA) board of governors hope that Iran will use this opportunity that's been extended to them to reconsider what they are doing, and to change course and suspend, or re-suspend, the uranium conversion and reengage in the diplomatic process with the EU-3 (Britain, France and Germany)," Rademaker told reporters after he delivered the speech to the committee.

He called on Iran to grasp this opportunity, warning that if it does not, the board of governors will take up the question of fulfilling the obligation that it now has under the IAEA to report the Iran matter to the Security Council and to the General Assembly.

The European Union (EU) foreign ministers urged Iran here on Monday to come back to the negotiation table and to fully suspend all fuel cycle activities. They also reaffirmed the EU's support for a diplomatic solution to international concerns over Iran's nuclear program.

Source: Xinhua