PARIS, April 12 (Xinhua) -- The French government spokesman said Wednesday that the statement made by Iran on Tuesday on its ability to fulfill uranium enrichment is a "step in the wrong direction", while the French Foreign Minister called it "worrying".

    "We are speaking from the perspective of a diplomatic settlement to this affair. We call on Iran to respect its obligations and comply with the demands of the IAEA (UN atomic watchdog) and the UN Security Council," said government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope.

    "From that viewpoint, these recent declarations are rather a step in the wrong direction," he added.

    French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said for his part the Iran's announcement to launch 164 centrifuges was "worrying".

    Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Tuesday that his country had successfully completed low-level enrichment of uranium for use as nuclear fuel.

    Washington and its European allies have long suspected that Iran is using its nuclear energy program as a cover to build its own nuclear weapons.

    The White House said Teheran's pursuit of uranium-enriching activities was an affront to the Security Council and warned that sanctions against Tehran were definitely an option. Enditem