The International Atomic Energy Agency has been quietly cooperating with the United Arab Emirates to end shipments of nuclear fuel and components through the Gulf region. Diplomatic sources said the UAE has allowed the agency to conduct inspections of facilities in Dubai and other areas where weapons of mass destruction were suspected of being stored or shipped. They said the targets included three facilities in Dubai believed to be exporting WMD material to Iran. Dubai has been the leading port for supplies to Iran. The sources said the UAE port served the Pakistan-led nuclear smuggling ring of Abdul Qadeer Khan, which exported nuclear material and gas centrifuges to Iran, Libya and North Korea. The sources said the agency pressed the UAE for access to facilities in Dubai following the disclosure of the Khan network and investigations in several countries. Khan maintained an office in Dubai that handled nuclear orders from Middle East and Asian states.