In an address to the International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors, Amano said: "We cannot confirm that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities because Iran has not provided the agency with the necessary cooperation."

Iran protested and at a later news conference, Amano sought to clarify his comments.

"Yes, there is cooperation from Iran. That is why we have been able to confirm that declared nuclear material has not been diverted for non-peaceful purposes. But there areas where we don't have cooperation and (where) we need cooperation," he said.

Iran must implement resolutions of the IAEA board and the UN Security Council to cease uranium enrichment, the Japanese official added.

It meant allowing IAEA inspectors to conduct snap inspections, notifying the agency of plans to build nuclear plants in advance and "clarification of issues related to possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear programme."

At a press conference in Geneva, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said his country was fully cooperating with the IAEA.

"The new chief and the new managers of the agency should look at the record of Iran's cooperation," Mottaki said. If they had "a very brief look at Iran's record, they would understand that we have a full cooperation with the agency and these cooperations will continue."

Amano, who took over the UN watchdog on December 1, circulated a report to IAEA member states 10 days ago which was seen as using tougher language than his predecessor Mohamed ElBaradei.

Amano expressed concern that Tehran may be working on a nuclear warhead and confirmed that Iran has started enriching uranium to higher levels, theoretically bringing it close to levels needed for an atomic bomb.

Iran responded by accusing the IAEA of lacking independence and being "influenced by the United States."

Speaking to reporters after Amano's speech, Tehran's envoy to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, called the report "unjustified and not acceptable."

Amano said "in my view, the report is factual and absolutely impartial. It tries to set out all the facts."

The report, Amano insisted, "does not say that Iran has or had a nuclear weapons programme.

"We try to set out facts. We have chosen our words carefully," he said.

The IAEA has collected information "over time and from various sources. We have analysed the information and the information is broadly consistent in terms of details, timeframe, people and and organisations. Therefore, it raises concerns and that's why we put it (like that)," Amano said.

The United States and its allies believe the Islamic republic is seeking to build an atomic bomb under the guise of its civilian nuclear programme, a charge Iran denies.

Amano also said that an IAEA-brokered deal to supply Iran with fuel for a nuclear research reactor was still on table, even though the Islamic republic has apparently rejected it.

Iran needs higher-enriched uranium for a research reactor which makes radioisotopes for medical purposes, such as the treatment of cancer, where the current fuel is expected to run out by the end of this year.

Under the proposed deal, hammered out last October under the IAEA's then chief Mohamed ElBaradei, Russia and France would make fuel out of Iran's own stockpile of low-enriched uranium, currently estimated to be just over 2,065 kilogrammes.

But Iran is reluctant to sign up, seeing the accord as a ruse by Western powers to deprive it of its uranium stockpile, and has put forward a rival proposal to either buy the fuel on the markets, or conduct a fuel swap on Iranian territory.

"In my view, the proposal made by ElBaradei is the balanced and realistic proposal and that is why I support it and keep it on the table," Amano said.

Nevertheless, he said he had passed on Iran's proposal to member states and was now waiting for a response.

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