London: In a new revelation, Iran has admitted that it received crucial help from Pakistan with its controversial nuclear programme.

The admission came in Vienna when Iran revealed the extensive foreign sources of help to the United Nations nuclear watchdog only in the past two weeks.

After a year of mounting international alarm that Iran's interest in nuclear power concealed an attempt to develop nuclear weapons, the regime has admitted that it has gone to great lengths over 18 years to hide its research, 'The Times', daily reported today (November 13).

Iran has now named Pakistan and several other countries as the source of components and advice used to make centrifuges to enrich uranium, the most controversial part of its research.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is now trying to confirm exactly when the assistance was given, and whether it was from scientists acting on their own or with the backing of their Governments.

Mohamed ElBaradei, the IAEA Director-General, refers to the foreign contribution several times in the damning 23-page report on Iran's evasions which he sent to the Agency's Board of Governors on Monday (Nov 10).

But he does not name the countries or people involved and said yesterday that he would not be drawn on their identities until the Agency had completed many more investigations.

PTI