He said Iran, which the United States charges with secretly developing nuclear weapons, should "do its utmost to build the required confidence through the agency," in a speech opening a week-long meeting in Vienna of all 137 IAEA member states.

Suspending uranium enrichment, the process that makes civilian nuclear fuel but also the exlosive core for atomic bombs, is a so-called confidence-building measure that goes beyond requirements laid down by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The 35-nation IAEA board of governors on Saturday called on Iran to "immediately" suspend all enrichment-related activities and set a November 25 deadline for a full review of Iranian compliance with the NPT and confidence-building measures.

ElBaradei said "Iran needs therefore, as the board made it explicitly clear last week, to continue to accelerate its cooperation, pursuing a policy of maximum transparency and confidence building, so that we can bring the remaining outstanding issues to resolution within the next few months and provide assurance to the international community."

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