London, Nov 12: British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw today called for the international community to react calmly to a report by the UN's nuclear watchdog which accused Iran of covert nuclear activities over 20 years. Speaking a day after a sharp reaction from the United States, straw told BBC radio: "we should be reacting calmly to this latest report. We have to pursue this matter patiently and by diplomatics means."

Since mid-September, Mohamed Elbaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was "reporting a considerable degree of cooperation by the Iranians," said Straw. "I can't say whether this cooperation is complete but it has certainly been substantial," straw said.

"It's a matter for the (IAEA) board to decide whether or not the matter should be referred to the (UN) Security Council, and I'm not going to preempt the decision of the board," he added.

The IAEA Monday accused Iran of covert nuclear activities over the past 20 years, including making plutonium, but said there was no evidence as yet it was trying to build an atomic bomb. A November 20 meeting of the IAEA's board of governors is set to rule on Iran's nuclear programme.

The United States accuses Iran, its arch-foe, of secretly trying to develop atomic weapons.

Bureau Report