NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on Friday called on the United States and European Union (EU) to coordinate a joint strategy on Iran.

Addressing a new year reception at the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the NATO chief said the EU was putting all its emphasis on negotiations while the United States only concentrated on threats.

The two should establish a policy of "carrot and stick" to tackle the nuclear issue of Iran, De Hoop Scheffer said.

De Hoop Scheffer was reacting to comments by US President George W. Bush, who said earlier that he would not rule out military action if Iran did not abandon its nuclear program.

Washington has asserted that Iran is working on a nuclear bomb, an accusation which Tehran denies.

According to the NATO chief, the issue might be discussed when Bush comes to Brussels next month for summits at the NATO headquarters and with the EU leaders.

It was reported that following talks in Moscow, Russian and French officials said on Friday that only negotiations would prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2005)