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| Iran broke the UN seals on the Natanz enrichment facility in January 2006 [EPA] |
2002
August - The exiled opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran reports the existence of an uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and a heavy water plant at Arak.
December - The United States accuses Iran of an "across-the-board pursuit of weapons of mass destruction".
2003
February - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspects the Natanz and Arak facilities.
June - An IAEA report on the inspections says that Iran has failed to comply with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
2004
 |
Iran insists that its nuclear programme
is for civilian purposes [EPA] |
November - Iran promises EU negotiators it will suspend all nuclear fuel processing and reprocessing work.
2005
September 2 - IAEA report says that Iran has resumed uranium conversion at the Isfahan nuclear research facility.
2006
January 10 - Iran resumes nuclear fuel research at the Natanz enrichment plant after breaking the UN seals on the facility.
February 4 - IAEA votes to report Iran to the UN Security Council.
February 5 - Iran ends snap UN nuclear inspections.
April 11 - Iran announces it has produced low-grade enriched uranium suitable for use in power stations, a move confirmed by the IAEA.
February 14 - Iran restarts small-scale feeding of uranium gas into centrifuges at Natanz after a two-and-a-half year suspension.
June 5 - Javier Solana, European Union foreign policy chief, delivers a package of incentives from world powers if Iran agrees to halt uranium enrichment.
August 31 - The IAEA announces Iran has not met a deadline to suspend its atomic fuel programme.
December 23 - Security Council votes for sanctions and gives Iran a 60-day deadline to suspend enrichment. Iran calls the resolution illegal.
2007
March 24 - The Security Council unanimously approves further financial and weapons sanctions against Iran.
April 18 - The IAEA says Iran has begun making nuclear fuel in an underground uranium enrichment plant.
May 23 - A confidential IAEA report says Iran has not suspended enrichment-related work.
August 21 - Iran and the IAEA say they have agreed a timeline for answering the watchdog's outstanding questions about Iran's nuclear programme.
 |
Saeed Jalili replaced Ali Larijani as chief
nuclear negotiator in October [AFP] |
October 20 - Saeed Jalili is named as Iran's new chief nuclear negotiator. He replaces Ali Larijani, who resigned.
October 24 - The US imposes new sanctions on Iran and accuses the elite Revolutionary Guard of spreading weapons of mass destruction.
November 2 - Britain, France, Germany, the US, Russia and China (the group of six) agree to push ahead with a third round of tougher sanctions.
November 15 - The IAEA says Iran has made important strides towards transparency but it remains unable to ascertain whether Iran has a secret, parallel military enrichment programme.
November 30 - The EU expresses disappointment with Iran after more talks with its main nuclear negotiator in London.
December 1 - A meeting of world powers in Paris fails to reach an agreement on further sanctions.
December 3 - A US National Intelligence Estimate says Iran halted its attempts to build a nuclear bomb in 2003.