U.N. atomic agency believes Iran worked on nuclear weapons

VIENNA -- A U.N. atomic agency says it believes that Iran worked in the past on nuclear weapons but its activities didn't go past planning and basic component experiments.

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The assessment was contained in an International Atomic Energy Agency report, ending nearly a decade of attempts to investigate the allegations.

The evaluation says the most "coordinated" work on developing such arms was done before 2003, with some activities continuing up to 2009.

The agency's probe was based on intelligence provided by the United States, Israel and other Iranian adversaries and on the IAEA's own research and interviews.

The confidential report released and obtained by The Associated Press Wednesday is significant in wrapping up the probe and in preparing the ground for the lifting of sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program.

The agreement to lift the sanctions was reached in July with the U.S., Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany.

In October, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, endorsed the deal after the Guardian Council, the nation's top body of ruling clerics, voted in favor of the deal.

The deal includes regulations on the size of Iran's stockpile of nuclear material and tracks centrifuges and the production of uranium which is meant to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon for at least 10 years.

New provisions for inspections on Iran's nuclear sites and military bases are also imposed.

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