"We have consistently said that Iran is entitled to civil nuclear power," she said at a news conference with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

"It is a nuclear weapons programme that it is not entitled to and if it reassures the world, or if its behaviour has changed because of international sanctions, then it can pursue peaceful nuclear power.

"In the absence of these reassurances, we think it would be premature to go forward with any project at this time because we want to send an unequivocal message to the Iranians."

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said earlier Thursday that the nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr, which Russia is building, should come online this summer

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