Iran bars two UN inspectors

Iran has barred two UN nuclear inspectors from entering the Islamic republic, a senior official was quoted as saying Monday, in a further escalation of an international dispute over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

The United Nations Security Council on June 9 imposed new sanctions on the major oil producer because of nuclear activity the West suspects is aimed at making bombs. Tehran denies the charge.

The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, said the two inspectors were declared persona non-grata for filing an "untruthful" report with the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about the country's nuclear work.

Salehi, in comments carried by the ISNA news agency, did not name them nor give details of what elements of the report he did not believe were accurate, adding that Tehran had asked the UN agency to replace the two inspectors.

There was no immediate comment from the IAEA, but a diplomat confirmed that Iran notified the agency of the ban.

Theodore Karasik, research director at the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, said Iran's move was "the first of what will be many retaliations" for the sanctions.

"It is part of the escalation ladder of tit-for-tat that is now beginning to emerge," he said in Dubai.

In its latest report on Iran in May, the IAEA said the country was preparing extra equipment to enrich uranium to higher levels and also continued to stockpile nuclear material.

Washington said the IAEA report underscored Iran's refusal to comply with international requirements.

Reuters