Iran suggested yesterday that it would welcome a visit by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner so he could clarify his comments that raised the prospect of war over Tehran?s nuclear programme.

Kouchner said earlier this month that Iran?s nuclear plans, which the West believes are a cover for acquiring an atomic weapon, meant France should ?prepare for the worst? ? meaning war. He has since sought to play down his comments and, in an interview with the French daily Le Figaro, Kouchner said he was prepared to visit Tehran if invited. ?We see no obstacles for his trip. We think such visits will even help clarify the realities in Iran and the region?, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told a weekly news conference.

France has taken a tougher stance against Tehran since President Nicolas Sarkozy came to power in May. Sarkozy said on Thursday he did not want a war with Iran over its nuclear programme but he repeated it would be unacceptable for Tehran to obtain an atom bomb. Iran has condemned Kouchner?s comments and denies charges it is secretly seeking nuclear weapons. It says it wants only to master nuclear technology to generate electricity.