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 .

February 14 - Iran restarts small-scale feeding of uranium gas into centrifuges at Natanz after a two-and-a-half year suspension.

April 11 - Iran announces it has produced low-grade enriched uranium suitable for use in power stations, a move confirmed by the IAEA.

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 - 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 - 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 agree to push ahead with a third round of tougher sanctions.

November 15 - 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 on hold in 2003.

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