Tehran's nuclear programme has reached such an advanced stage that talk of suspending uranium enrichment - a key demand by the United Nations - has become futile, Ali Larijani, Iran's top security and nuclear official, yesterday said.

Explaining last week's statement by Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, Iranian president, that the nuclear file was "closed", Mr Larijani suggested Iran had now -created a situation on the ground that could not be reversed.