12:12pm UK, Wednesday February 16, 2005

Iran is six months away from having the knowledge to build a nuclear bomb, Israeli has claimed.

Speaking in London, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said the "nightmare" scenario would be upon the West by the end of the summer.

180 bushhr nuclear facility iran.jpg

Iran claims the US is spying on its nuclear facilities

"The question is not if the Iranians will have a nuclear bomb in 2009, 10 or 11, the main question is when are they going to have the knowledge to do it," Mr Shalom said.

"We believe that in six months from today they will end all the tests and experiments they are doing to have that knowledge."

The claims came as Tehran said the US was flying spy drones and satellites over its nuclear sites.

A story in the Washington Post this week claimed America has been flying drones over Iran for the last year.

"We believe the United States has been spying against Iran for some time using satellites and other tools," Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi said, adding the Iranian airforce had been given permission to shoot the crafts down.

The US accuses Iran of using its domestic nuclear programme as a cover for producing nuclear weapons.

Iran, which denies the allegations, is in talks with European countries about the status of its programme.

The US has refused to take part in the talks, saying it reserves the right to use force to prevent Iran developing a nuclear bomb.

Israel, believed to be the region's only nuclear power, has also hinted it would not tolerate a nuclear neighbour.