Iran has been testing parts for machines that could be used to develop nuclear weapons, despite a promise to temporarily refrain from all such activities, Western diplomats said on Thursday. A Western diplomat who follows the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told Reuters on condition of anonymity Iran was performing quality control checks of "non-essential items" for centrifuges, machines that purify uranium to make fuel for nuclear power plants or weapons.

"If they would act in good faith, there would be a complete standstill of every activity that relates to centrifuges," the diplomat said. This may be a breach of Iran's pledge to freeze all activities related to uranium enrichment, he added.

Tehran promised France, Britain and Germany in November it would refrain from all activities related to uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing for the duration of talks between the EU's "big three" and Iran, talks aimed at hammering out a permanent resolution to the stand-off over Iran's atomic plans.

Copyright Reuters, 2005