Authorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran have said that it has detected the Duqu computer virus that is believed to be aimed at the country’s nuclear establishment.

Experts in the country believe that the Duqu computer virus is based on Stuxnet, which is a cyber programme unearthed last year and is also believed to be designed for sabotaging the nuclear efforts in the country.

Iran's civil defense organization chief, Gholamreza Jalali said that the authorities are checking computers at all main sites and also added that country has developed a programme to protect its systems from the virus programmes.

Jalali said, "We are in the initial phase of fighting the Duqu virus. The final report which says which organizations the virus has spread to and what its impacts are has not been completed yet. All the organizations and centers that could be susceptible to being contaminated are being controlled."

The Duqu computer virus was detected after security software maker Symantec announced that it has detected mysterious software having similar code to that of Stuxnet. Experts say that Stuxnet was designed to disrupt industrial control systems but Duqu appeared designed only for gathering data for future attacks on the country’s systems.

Iran is suspected by many in the international community to be working covertly to develop nuclear weapons, a claim repeatedly denied by the Islamic regime in the country. Iranian authorities have stressed that the country is only working on peaceful nuclear technology and it has the right to peaceful nuclear power.