The United States accused Iran today of deceiving UN inspectors over its nuclear arms ambitions, a charge diplomats said increased pressure on Tehran to accept European demands in key talks this month.
The criticism comes a day before President George W. Bush was to meet Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to discuss whether to join Europe in offering incentives to Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions.
France, Britain and Germany, which criticised Tehran for not fully adhering to its pledge to freeze all activities that could be used to make atomic weapons, are offering Iran economic and political incentives to terminate the most sensitive parts of its programme. Iran has refused.
Mr Bush has taken a harder line, calling for Iran to face UN sanctions, but hinted last week he may support the EU trio's approach. It would mark a significant shift in strategy for Mr Bush, who has been reluctant to consider incentives for Iran to avoid being seen as rewarding bad behaviour.
Mr Bush's envoy Jackie Sanders told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors that Iran was "willing and apparently able to cynically manipulate the nuclear non-proliferation regime in the pursuit of nuclear weapons".
The UN nuclear watchdog's governing board had a "statutory obligation" to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions, she said, according to a text of her speech.
"The Security Council has the international, legal and political authority that will bring this issue to a successful and peaceful resolution."