Washington: Pakistan could be in the midst of a fresh row as officials familiar with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Iran's nuclear programme were on August 27 quoted as saying that Pakistani companies have aided Tehran in building a nuclear facility.

Though Iran did not name the foreign source of its nuclear facility in admissions to IAEA, officials familiar with the nuclear watchdog's report and diplomatic sources have identified it as Pakistan, 'Washington Post' reported.

Pakistan has already been accused of providing key help to North Korea for making nuclear weapons.

Iran has admitted to the IAEA for the first time that it has received "substantial" foreign help in building a secret nuclear facility South of Tehran that is now beginning to enrich uranium, a key ingredient in making nuclear weapons.

Evidence collected by the IAEA, says the 'Post', implicates Pakistani companies as suppliers of critical technology and parts.

The latest disclosure about Iran came as the IAEA reported that Iran had only partially complied with demands to open its nuclear programme to scrutiny.

The IAEA, in a confidential report, said Iran had only partially complied with demands to open its nuclear programme to scrutiny, spurring fears that it was secretly developing nuclear weapons.

"Iran," said the IAEA report, portions of which the 'Post' claimed to have seen, "has demonstrated an increased degree of co-operation. But…there remain a number of important outstanding issues, particularly with regard to Iran's enrichment programme, that require urgent attention."

PTI