London, Nov. 17 (ANI): The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that Iran may have more secret nuclear sites apart from the recently revealed construction site at Qom.

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog raised suspicions after inspectors were given access to the uranium enrichment plant under construction in a mountain near the city of Qom.

An IAEA report said the government had failed to provide full and credible evidence that the plant was only for civilian use.

“Iran’s declaration of the new facility reduces the level of confidence in the absence of other nuclear facilities under construction and gives rise to questions about whether there were any other nuclear facilities not declared to the agency,” the Telegraph quoted the IAEA report, as saying.

The IAEA added that construction had been continuing for longer than the Iranians had admitted

The inspectors’ report said the Qom site was in an “advanced state” of construction but did not yet have centrifuges or other nuclear-related equipment.

Iran informed the IAEA about the Qom nuclear site in September, only after its existence had become known to western intelligence agencies.

The discovery led to an uproar in the west, with analysts saying the only purpose of such a facility was to supply a weapons programme.

Iran claimed it was being built in case its main enrichment plant at Natanz, also initially kept secret, was bombed by enemies such as Israel.

The IAEA confirmed that the facility was intended to house 3,000 centrifuges, enough to enrich uranium for one nuclear weapon per year. (ANI)