VIENNA, Feb 28: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Monday that questions remained about Iran’s nuclear programme, but it stopped short of saying Tehran was secretly making nuclear weapons.

The confidential report is to be crucial in the UN Security Council’s deciding whether to take punitive action against Iran over a nuclear programme which the United States claims hides covert development of atomic weapons.

“It is regrettable and a matter of concern that the... uncertainties related to the scope and nature of Iran’s nuclear programme have not been clarified after three years of intensive agency verifications,” the IAEA said in the report.

The report said Iran’s cooperation had been lacking but left the door open to Iran coming forth with more information.

The report, sent to the 35 member states of the IAEA board of governors which are due to meet in Vienna on March 6, said: “Although the agency has not seen any diversion of nuclear material to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, the agency is not at this point in time in a position to conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran.”

It said further verification would take time, in a sign, a senior official familiar with the IAEA investigation said, that the agency is not closing the door on Iran, despite the agency’s board having on Feb 4 sent Tehran to the Security Council, which has enforcement powers.

The agency’s chief, Mohamed ElBaradei, had threatened recently that this report could draw the conclusion that Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not peaceful ones. But the official said the report showed Mr ElBaradei ‘still thinks that there is some room for progress’.—AFP