Frankfurt  - A German court Thursday handed down a 22-month suspended sentence to a businessman who tried to sell cameras that could have been used for Iran's nuclear programme.

The 49-year-old man, who was not named, was convicted of breaking arms export laws and violating the trade embargo against Iran. He was also ordered to deposit 5,000 euros (7,300 dollars) with the court.

Intelligence agencies discovered the Frankfurt businessman arranged deliveries to a Middle Eastern destination of various goods, including a deal two years ago for two Russian-made cameras to Iran.

The cameras, which never reached their destination, would have been useful in designing nuclear weapons, prosecutors said.

The man told the court he believed the cameras were for peaceful purposes, but later admitted that he did not properly look into what they were going to be used for.

A state superior court had previously refused to try him, arguing there was no proof that Iran was developing nuclear bombs.

But the German High Court instructed a district court to proceed to trial, after taking into account assessments by Germany's BND intelligence service that Iran was trying in 2007 to build a bomb.  dpa