Friday, September 1 2006 10:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Vienna: Iran has carried on enriching uranium despite a UN deadline for it to stop or face possible sanctions, the UN nuclear watchdog said yesterday (Aug 31, 2006).

"Iran has not suspended its enrichment related activities," the watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a confidential report filed to the UN Security Council.

Iran started a new round of uranium enrichment only days ahead of the United Nations deadline today for it to stop all such activities.

The UN Security Council has demanded that Iran suspend all uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities by August 31, amid US-led concerns that Tehran's nuclear programme is a cover for an attempt to produce an atomic bomb.

The IAEA was verifying Iran's compliance with the deadline.

Uranium enrichment makes fuel for civilian nuclear reactors but in a highly refined form can serve as the raw material for atom bombs.