TIMELINE: Iran's nuclear program

(Reuters) - Here is a chronology of events since it first emerged Iran was carrying out sensitive work that it could use to make atomic bombs. Iran says its program is for peaceful energy generation.

August 2002 - The exiled opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran reports the existence of a uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and a heavy water plant at Arak.

June 2003 - An IAEA report says Iran has failed to comply with nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

November 2004 - Iran promises EU negotiators it will suspend all nuclear fuel processing and reprocessing work.

September 2, 2005 - IAEA report confirms Iran has resumed uranium conversion at Isfahan.

February 4, 2006 - IAEA votes to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council. Iran ends snap U.N. nuclear inspections the next day.

April 11 - Ahmadinejad declares that Iran has produced its first batch of enriched uranium. World powers condemn Iran for advancing its program in defiance of the United Nations.

June 5 - EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana delivers a package of incentives from world powers if Iran agrees to halt uranium enrichment.

December 23 - Security Council votes for sanctions and gives 60 days to suspend enrichment. Iran calls the resolution illegal.

March 24, 2007 - The Security Council unanimously approves further arms and financial sanctions against Iran.

April 18 - IAEA says Iran has started up more than 1,300 centrifuge machines in an accelerating campaign to lay a basis for "industrial scale" enrichment in the Natanz complex.

August 21 - Iran and the IAEA say they agreed a timeline for answering outstanding questions about Iran's nuclear program.

October 24 - The United States imposes new sanctions on Iran and accuses its Revolutionary Guard of spreading weapons of mass destruction.

November 2 - Six powers - Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Russia and China - agree to push ahead with a third round of tougher sanctions.

December 3 - A U.S. National Intelligence Estimate says Iran put its bid to build a nuclear bomb on hold in 2003 and it remains on hold.

December 5 - Ahmadinejad declares victory over the U.S. and IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei says Iran has been "somewhat vindicated".