West can still reach Iran deal

The president's wide-ranging speech in Riyadh also covered Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian elections and reform in the conservative monarchy.

"In Iran, the voice of reason that France, the United Kingdom and Germany wanted to be heard on the nuclear file has not been heard, for the time being," Chirac told the non-elected advisory council.

But despite the failure of negotiations between Tehran and the European Union, "the hand remains stretched out, and Iran can, at any moment, take it back by restoring its commitment to suspension of sensitive (nuclear) work".

Chirac said Iran had been "assured that it can develop its nuclear capacity for civilian purposes".

EU powers and Iran failed Friday to strike a deal in last-ditch nuclear talks that could have blocked possible UN Security Council action over Western fears Tehran is secretly developing atomic weapons.

"Nuclear research will go on, and threats, propaganda and bullying will not affect us," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said Sunday, referring to the country's controversial uranium enrichment drive.

Chirac also expressed support for reforms undertaken by King Abdullah, whom he was to meet later Sunday, and the oil-rich monarchy's fight against al-Qaeda linked militants since the Islamists rose up against Riyadh in May 2003.