By HEIDI VOGT
The Associated Press
Saturday, February 2, 2008; 11:55 AM

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- Iran's foreign minister on Saturday called the Bush administration cowardly for not saying it had made a mistake after a U.S. intelligence report concluded Iran had stopped its nuclear weapons program in 2003.

U.S. attempts to keep up international pressure against Iran over its nuclear ambitions were complicated last month by the report saying Iran had not restarted its weapons program.

The Bush administration should "take the brave step to be honest for the first time with their people and to tell them, 'We were in doubt,'" Manouchehr Mottaki said on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Ethiopia's capital.

The U.S. government should say "'We had concern about Iran's nuclear activities, but based on this report, it has removed our concern, and we do not have any problem,'" he said.

The United States and its allies argue that even if Iran no longer has an active weapons program, it could easily resume such work unless strong international oversight is put in place.

Mottaki also said Western powers should not waste time pushing for renewed sanctions against the country, arguing that two previous rounds of sanctions have not worked.

The five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany circulated a statement in late January with proposed elements of a draft resolution imposing more travel bans, frozen assets and other sanctions on Iran.

Mottaki said that imposing sanctions "does not work anymore."

"I think they should learn from the last two steps in this direction," he said.

Last week, Britain's U.N. ambassador said the first two rounds of sanctions imposed on Iran had taken an economic and political toll on the country, adding that a third round would add "another click on the ratchet."

Tehran has maintained that its nuclear ambitions are to produce electricity.

The two previous resolutions against Iran ordered all countries to prohibit the supply of specified materials and technology that could contribute to Iran's nuclear and missile programs, and also imposed an asset freeze on key Iranian companies and individuals named by the United Nations.

Officials have said the latest resolution focuses on encouraging countries to be vigilant, rather than introducing new harsh sanctions.

Mottaki also said his government had invited officials from Chad and Sudan to Iran for talks to help broker peace in the restive region.