THE UN atomic agency issued reports today that set the stage for Syria’s referral to the UN Security Council and increase pressure on Iran to cooperate on a probe of its alleged work on nuclear weapons.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report said that member states have given it fresh information alleging that Iran has worked secretly on developing nuclear arms.

The IAEA report said it was assessing “further information related to such possible undisclosed nuclear-related activities.”

Both the Iran and Syria reports were obtained by the Associated Press and were drawn up for next month’s meeting of the 35-nation IAEA board.

In its Syria report, the IAEA said that a Syrian target bombed four years ago by Israel was very likely a nearly finished, covertly built nuclear reactor — its most definitive statement on the issue to date.

The finding backs US assessments and moves Syria closer to potential UN Security Council action.

Syria says the nearly finished building had no nuclear uses. It has repeatedly turned down IAEA requests to revisit the site after allowing an initial 2008 inspection that found evidence of possible nuclear activities.

- AP