WASHINGTON, July 6 (Xinhuanet) -- The United States on Wednesday urged Iran to abide by the Paris agreement reached with France, Britain and Germany in November last year to suspend the uranium enrichment programs.

    "As a matter of principle, contravention of that agreement would be a step backwards," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at a briefing.

    "We made very clear, as the secretary did yesterday, that conversion and enrichment facility -- activities would not be allowed under the Paris agreement and are specifically forbidden by it," the spokesman said.

    After talks with visiting French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the world must make sure that Iran does not have the technology or technological know-how that could be turned from civilian use to making of a nuclear weapon.

    "The Paris agreement is initially about suspension but ultimately the world has to be assured that Iran cannot have this capacity and that there would ultimately have to be objective guarantees and we believe that means cessation," Rice said.

    The United States has accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the civilian cover. Iran has insisted that its nuclear programs are for civil purposes only. Enditem