Attack on Iran 'act of madness'

Vienna: The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency cautioned yesterday an attack on Iran over its refusal to freeze programmes that could make nuclear weapons would be "an act of madness," in indirect warnings to the United States and Israel.

IAEA chief Mohammad Al Baradei also said Iran could be running close to 3,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges by the end of next month - a number agency officials have described as the point of no return in the start of a large-scale programme.