Luxembourg, MAY 24, SPA -- Iran will have the capability to developnuclear weapons in three to eight years, Mohamed ElBaradei, the headof the United Nations nuclear watchdog, warned Thursday. "If Iran wanted to go for nuclear weapons, it would not be beforethe end of this decade or the middle of next decade, in other wordsthree to eight years," DPA QUOTED ElBaradei as saying in Luxembourg. ElBaradei, who heads the Vienna-based International Atomic EnergyAgency (IAEA), said Iran was expanding its knowledge and its capacityto enrich uranium. This was especially worrying because it was happening at a timewhen the IAEA was not in a position to undertake "full and robustinspections" in Iran, he said. "If we continue in that direction, we would end up with a majorconfrontation, we would reduce the possibility of a peacefulresolution of the issue," ElBaradei warned. The IAEA chief appealed to Tehran to suspend uranium enrichmentactivity as a "confidence-building measure." But he also urged the US and European countries to do their bestto engage Iran in a wide-ranging dialogue focusing on Tehran'seconomic and technology concerns. "We need to have a comprehensive settlement" including discussionson security, said ElBaradei. The IAEA head called for a "multiple time-out" under which Iranwould suspend uranium enrichment while the United Nations put thebrakes on sanctions against Tehran. Negotiations were needed because the current internationalstalemate with Iran was not acceptable given growing concerns aboutthe nuclear proliferation, he cautioned. ElBaradei repeated an IAEA warning earlier this week that itsknowledge of Iran's nuclear programme was "deteriorating." Tehran denies that it is building nuclear weapons, arguing thatits nuclear programme is for civilian use only. The UN Security Council tightened sanctions against Iran in Marchthis after Tehran continued to defy international demands to halturanium enrichment. Tehran, in turn, decided to limit its co-operation with the IAEAalthough inspectors from the agency still regularly visit Iran'satomic facilities under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Another UN deadline for Iran to comply with its demands runs outon Thursday.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/452674