Iran stops oil exports to Britain as nuclear inspectors arrive The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is hoping for "concrete results" from the two days of talks focused on "the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear programme," the delegation's leader, chief UN nuclear inspector Herman Nackaerts, said. But he cautioned progress "may take a while." Iran has taken an increasingly defiant stance against Western sanctions and Israeli threats of military action against it. The Iranian ban on oil exports to Britain and France is largely symbolic - Iran provides less than three per cent of France's oil imports and almost none of Britain's. But the symbolism was powerful, with oil traders taking fright at the prospect of Iran expanding its measure to the rest of Europe, which buys 20 per cent of its crude. Oil prices soared yesterday: New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate light sweet crude for March delivery, jumped $1.72 to $104.96 per barrel. The Islamic republic has also in recent days flaunted what it said was "major" nuclear progress, declaring it was adding thousands more centrifuges to its uranium enrichment activities and producing what it said was 20-per cent enriched nuclear fuel. The IAEA, which in November issued a report voicing strong suspicions that Iran was researching an atomic weapon and missile warheads, confirmed last month that a new, fortified uranium enrichment plant outside Iran's holy city of Qom had been activated. The West has ratcheted up its sanctions to try to force Iran to stop enrichment, but with no success so far. Tom Donilon, President Barack Obama's national security advisor, arrived in Israel for emergency talks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Reiterating concerns raised to The Daily Telegraph last week, Mr Hague said the world faced the real risk of conflict or the prospect that an Iran armed with a nuclear weapon would result in a second Cold War if economic sanctions did not force Tehran to change course. "They would either be attacked and there would be a war, or there would be a cold war in which Iran for the long term would be subject to these very intense economic sanctions and they would find that other nations in their region developed nuclear weapons," he said. Mr Haugue added that Israel has not shared its plans with the UK. Responding to Mr Hague's stark warning on condition of anonymity, a senior source within the Israeli government said that Israel received the Foreign Secretary's comments with "gravity and seriousness," adding that Israel would continue to communicate with the British government through diplomatic channels.