UN: Iran got A-bomb data from Pakistani scientist

IRAN received data on processing the enriched uranium needed for a nuclear weapon from a black market network run by a disgraced Pakistani scientist, the UN's monitoring agency has disclosed.

Documents seen by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) included information showing how to cast enriched, natural, and depleted uranium into a spherical form, which diplomats said could indicate a design for the core of a nuclear weapon.

Abdul Qadeer Khan, considered the father of Pakistan's nuclear programme, has previously acknowledged selling secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea.

But Iran insisted it had never requested the data - which it received in 1987 - nor ever used it, a confidential report by the IAEA said yesterday.

Tehran passed the documentation to the UN's nuclear watchdog in what was seen as attempt to demonstrate improved co-operation before next Thursday's vital meeting of the IAEA's board to consider whether to refer Iran to the UN Security Council.

The agency's report said that Iran had been "more forthcoming" in providing access to information in some areas, but insisted that more transparency from Tehran was "indispensable and overdue".

Iran was not giving inspectors access to a sensitive site that could be used to store equipment indicating whether the military is running a secret nuclear programme, the IAEA said.

There were also questions to be answered on Iran's secret enrichment activities between 1995 and 2002.

Iran added to the agency's concerns yesterday by confirming it had begun a new round of converting uranium ore into gas.

This is the precursor for making enriched uranium that can be fuel for peaceful civilian power reactors - or the raw material for nuclear bombs.

Adam Ereli, of the United States State Department, said Iran's move went "against what they themselves have committed themselves to and what the international community has asked of them".

Restarting conversion, while not illegal, signals Tehran's defiance before next week's IAEA meeting.

Iran is keen to avoid any referral to the UN Security Council, but Ali Larijani, its chief nuclear negotiator, was again adamant yesterday that Iran would never drop its nuclear project, insisting that its only purpose was power generation.

The West remains unconvinced, mainly because Iran hid uranium enrichment activities from the IAEA for 18 years until 2003.

Since coming to power in August, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president, has further raised tensions by using tough rhetoric on the nuclear issue and declaring recently that Israel "should be wiped off the map".

France said the Iranian move to convert more uranium ore was unhelpful. "It does not contribute to creating confidence between Iran and the international community," a French foreign ministry official said.

France, along with Britain and Germany - the so-called EU3 - has led EU negotiations aimed at defusing the standoff with Iran.

Those talks broke down in August when Iran resumed uranium conversion after a nine-month break. The IAEA then passed a resolution calling on Iran to halt conversion.

The IAEA report said Iran should provide information and documentation on obtaining dual-use equipment and allow visits to various sites.

This includes Lavisan, which Washington says was used for sensitive nuclear work, but which was bulldozed before IAEA inspectors could visit it.