Thomas Steg said the remarks were coherent with Paris's established policy "that nuclear arms are not an instrument of attack for France, but serve as a deterrent."

Berlin did not see in Chirac's warning "any reason to believe that France's policy has changed or will change in the future," Steg told a regular government media briefing.

Chirac on Thursday for the first time raised the threat of a nuclear strike on any state that launches "terrorist" attacks against France.

"Leaders of any state that uses terrorist means against us, as well as any that may be envisaging -- in one way or another -- using weapons of mass destruction, must understand that they would be exposing themselves to a firm and appropriate response on our behalf," he said during a visit to a nuclear base in northwestern France.

"That response could be conventional. It could also be of another nature."

The German government said it also did not see any reason to believe that Chirac's remarks signalled a change in Paris's stance on the crisis brewing over Iran's controversial nuclear programme.

The European Union troika which has been trying to broker a diplomatic resolution in the standoff with Tehran -- Britain, France and Germany -- remained of one mind on the matter, he said.

"There is no doubt that France shares the position of Britain and Germany within the EU-3," Steg said.

The three countries last week called for the Iranian issue to be referred to the United Nations Security Council.

NATO sources have said earlier that Chirac's comments have not raised alarm in the transatlantic body because it appeared to be in line with its policy on nuclear military power.

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