VIENNA, 22 January 2005 — Intelligence agency reports indicating that Iran imported large quantities of a substance which could be used in a nuclear weapon appear unfounded, Western diplomats said yesterday. But the diplomats, briefed on an investigation by the United Nations, said there was evidence that Iran had tried to buy significant quantities of the substance — beryllium metal — and that the UN nuclear watchdog was aware of the attempts.

Beryllium metal has civilian uses, but some officials believe Iran wanted to combine it with another substance in a bomb. The United States and the European Union fear Iran harbors nuclear weapons ambitions, and on Thursday US Vice President Dick Cheney said the Muslim nation was at the top of the administration’s list of world trouble spots. US President George W. Bush said earlier this week he would not rule out the use of force against Iran if it continued to “stonewall” the international community. Iran denies it has atom bomb ambitions and says it only wants to produce atomic power to meet its growing energy needs.

Vienna-based diplomats familiar with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s two-year investigation of Tehran’s nuclear program said the agency knew of attempts by Iran to purchase large quantities of beryllium from five countries — Russia, China, Germany, Kazakhstan and Britain.

But it was not as widespread as other diplomats, who referred to Western intelligence reports, had indicated. “The only known successful import of beryllium by Iran was a few grams purchased in Britain,” said one diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “It appears all of the other attempts were foiled. There is no evidence that they succeeded.”

Iran had received an export license for the British beryllium import, which was stated to be for civilian non-atomic purposes, according to a BBC Radio 4 report from 2002. Last year, other diplomats familiar with Western intelligence reports on Iran said Tehran had bought large amounts of beryllium, which can be used in spark plugs and X-ray equipment.

It can also be combined with polonium-210 (Po-210), a substance Iran is known to have worked with, to initiate the chain reaction in a bomb.

The diplomats briefed on the IAEA probe said Tehran was attempting to import some beryllium in the early 1990s — around the same time it was experimenting with Po-210 — and that firms linked to Iran’s defense industry had been involved.

“Like so many questions about Iran’s nuclear program, this one is still open,” said one Western diplomat. Some Western diplomats in Vienna have complained that IAEA chief Mohamed El-Baradei declined to include the beryllium issue in any of his reports to the IAEA board of governors.

NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said yesterday that Europe and the United States must coordinate a “carrot and stick” approach to Iran over its nuclear plans.

The issue may very well be discussed when Bush comes to Brussels next month for summits at NATO and with the European Union, he added.

“It’s of the utmost importance that the European Union and the United States of America see eye to eye on Iran. Only this way can we prevent that nations or alliances can be played out against each other,” he said.

Meanwhile, 22 people were killed in northern Iran yesterday when the bus they were riding in skidded off a mountain road into a ravine, student news agency ISNA reported. Another seven people were injured in the accident on the road between Tehran and Babolsar, which occurred when the driver swerved to avoid rocks falling from the mountainside.