VIENNA, Nov 15: A report from the UN nuclear watchdog agency on Thursday found Iran to be generally truthful about key aspects of its nuclear history, but said that its knowledge of Tehran’s present atomic work was shrinking.

The report said that after years of stonewalling, Iran had provided much documentation and allowed interviews with nuclear officials related to its secret development of centrifuges, which refine uranium for power plant fuel or the core of bombs, in the 1980s and 1990s.

“The agency has been able to conclude that answers provided on the declared past P-1 and P-2 centrifuge programmes are consistent with its findings.

“We will, however, continue to seek corroboration and to verify the completeness of Iran’s declarations,” the report said.

“Iran has provided sufficient access to individuals and has responded in a timely manner to questions and provided clarification and amplifications on issues raised in the context of the work (transparency) plan,” it said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency report also confirmed that Tehran continued to defy the UN Security Council by ignoring its repeated demands to freeze uranium enrichment.

Much of the 10-page report focused on the history of Iran’s black market procurements and past development of its enrichment technology -- and the agency appeared to be giving Tehran a pass on that issue, repeatedly saying it concludes that ‘Iran’s statements are consistent with .... information available to the agency.’

The United States said it would renew efforts to secure extra UN sanctions against Iran.

“This report sadly makes clear that Iran seems uninterested in working with the rest of the world,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

“The United States will work with our partners on the UN Security Council and Germany as we move towards a third set of Security Council sanctions,” Perino said.

In Vienna, the US ambassador to the IAEA, Gregory Schulte, said Iran had ‘failed the test of full disclosure.’

“The IAEA report shows that Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA remains selective and incomplete,” Schulte asserted.—AP/AFP