VIENNA, Feb 22: The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Friday that Iran was being more transparent about its nuclear programme but doubts remained about whether it was entirely for peaceful purposes.

An IAEA report alleged that Iran’s lack of credible answers to intelligence about explosives and missile design work relevant to making atomic bombs was “a serious concern”.

“In the last four months, in particular, we have made quite good progress in clarifying the outstanding issues,” IAEA Director Mohamed ElBaradei said in a statement accompanying the report prepared by the agency’s inspectors.

“On that score, Iran in the last few months has provided us with visits to many places that enable us to have a clearer picture of its current programme,” Mr ElBaradei said.

“However, that is not in my view sufficient.”

The report said Iran was being more open with UN monitors than before but that Tehran was testing technology that could give it the means to enrich uranium much faster.

The IAEA said Iran had failed to clear up all outstanding questions by an agreed February deadline.

Iran said the report showed that its nuclear activities were peaceful.

Mr ElBaradei said one crucial requirement was for Iran to implement the IAEA’s Additional Protocol, which allows snap inspections.

“We need to have that authority as a matter of law.”

Another issue was Iran’s failure so far to address western intelligence, published for the first time in the report, about coordination between uranium processing, missile warhead design work and high-explosives tests, he said.

“The issue is still critical for us to be able to come to a determination as to the nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.”

He said Iran should heed UN Security Council demands for a suspension of all uranium enrichment activity as a major step towards easing mistrust.

But he expressed satisfaction that UN inspectors had been able to clarify all outstanding issues about the programme, except for weapon making, in the past few months because Iran had provided credible answers that had been withheld earlier.

“(The report) is another document which proves the Iranian nation was right about the nature of its nuclear activities,” Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili told a news conference in Tehran.—Reuters