Officials familiar with the International Atomic Energy Agency report on Iran's nuclear programme were on Wednesday quoted as saying that Pakistani companies have aided Iran in building a nuclear facility.

Though Iran did not name the foreign source of its nuclear facility in admissions to IAEA, the officials have identified it as Pakistan, the Washington Post reported.

Pakistan has already been accused of helping North Korea build nuclear weapons.

Iran has admitted to the IAEA that it has received 'substantial' foreign help in building a secret nuclear facility south of Tehran, which is now beginning to enrich uranium.

The latest disclosure came as the IAEA, in a confidential report, said Iran had only partially complied with demands to open its nuclear programme to scrutiny.

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

Agencies