Ambassador Yukio Takasu of Japan, who chairs the committee, provided an update on its latest work to the 15-member Council.

During the reporting period, 11 December 2009 to 4 March 2010, the committee received two reports of violations of resolution 1747 of 2007, which bans arms exports from Iran, the Ambassador stated.

It has asked for explanations about arms-related materials from Iran that was found on board two ships, the Hansa India and the Francop.

The committee, Mr. Takasu said, has approved another notice to urge Member States to be especially vigilant for violations similar to those involved in the Hansa India incident, which involves the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL).

Iran's nuclear programme - which its officials have stated is for peaceful purposes, but some other countries contend is driven by military ambitions - has been a matter of international concern since the discovery in 2003 that the country had concealed its nuclear activities for 18 years in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Resolution 1737 of December 2006 banned trade with Iran in all items, materials, equipment, goods and technology which could contribute to the country's enrichment-related, reprocessing or heavy water-related activities, or to the development of nuclear-weapon delivery systems.

Resolution 1747 of the following year tightened the sanctions by imposing a ban on arms sales and expanding the freeze on assets.

The Council imposed further sanctions against Iran in resolution 1803 in 2008. These included the inspection of cargo suspected of carrying prohibited goods, the tighter monitoring of financial institutions and the extension of travel bans and asset freezes, over its nuclear programme.

Mr. Takasu also informed the Council today that the committee had received three notifications from Member States concerning the delivery of items for use in the nuclear power plant at Bushehr, Iran.

As for the reporting requirement by States on their implementation of the sanctions, the Committee so far had received 91 reports under resolution 1737, 78 reports under resolution 1747 and 67 reports under resolution 1803, he said.

On Monday, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stressed that stepped-up cooperation from Iran is crucial to ensure that the body can verify that all nuclear material in the country is for peaceful purposes.

The IAEA continues, “under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements with Iran, to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran, but we cannot confirm that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities because Iran has not provided the Agency with the necessary cooperation,” Director General Yukiya Amano said in his address to the body's Board of Governors in Vienna.

He urged Iran to cooperate in areas including the implementation of resolutions by both the IAEA and the Security Council, as well as clarification of issues related to the possible military dimensions to its nuclear programme.

Last October, an agreement on fuel for a civilian nuclear research site in Tehran was put forward in which Iranian low-enriched uranium would be shipped for further enrichment to Russia and then on to France to be fabricated into fuel.

Iran has said it needs more time to provide a response, while the other three parties to the talks - France, Russia and the United States - have all indicated their approval of the agreement.

Earlier this month, the IAEA expressed its concern over an announcement by Iran that it will increase its enrichment of uranium.