Iran says it needs time to review a plan proposed by the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency in which it will hold off on imposing sanctions if Tehran suspends uranium enrichment.

The former Iranian president said today that talk of US contingency planning for a military attack on Iran was overblown because such a move would be too dangerous.

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said today he hoped Iran would suspend its nuclear enrichment and reprocessing programmes following a tentative deal announced over the weekend between Tehran and France, Germany and Britain.

Russia today brought back weapons-grade uranium that the Soviet Union supplied to Libya for a nuclear research centre at least 20 years ago, Russian officials and the United Nations nuclear watchdog said.

Israel has made plans to bomb an Iranian nuclear power plant if it begins producing weapons grade material, it was reported today.