BERLIN, Feb 19: The head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei, has called on the United States to join European countries attempting to ensure that Iran does not build atomic weapons.

The efforts of Britain, France and Germany to persuade Tehran to stop enriching uranium in exchange for technical, commercial and political advantages from Europe can only succeed "if the US joins in and throws its weight behind it," Mr ElBaradei told the weekly Der Spiegel.

"Progress is difficult to conceive without Washington," the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said, adding: "We need a common front." Mr ElBaradei warned that if Iran was determined to have nuclear weapons, they could be available within two to three years, as Tehran had the know-how and industrial capability. He voiced alarm at the prospect of a US attack on Iran, which President George W. Bush has not ruled out. -AFP