Salehi. 'Inspectors leaked information'
Photo: AFP
Report: Iran bans entry of 2 UN inspectors
Islamic Republic's atomic energy chief says agents banned entry because they 'leaked information, gave false reports'
Iran has told the United Nations nuclear body that two of its inspectors will be prevented from coming to the country after they leaked information and filed false reports, ISNA news agency reported Monday quoting atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi.
Salehi said the names of the two inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had been given to the agency last week.
"These two inspectors do not have the right to come to Iran because they leaked information before it was to be officially announced and they also gave false reports," Salehi was quoted as saying on ISNA.
Back to Talks
President Nicolas Sarkozy says France prepared to begin talks with Iran over nuclear program. 'Sanctions not aimed at punishing Iran, but at convincing country's leaders to return to negotiations,' he says
"In other words because of these two reasons it has led us to prevent them from coming to Iran."
Recent weeks have seen a deterioration in Iran's ties with the West and international institutions, following the UN Security Council's approval of a fresh round of sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
Last week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticized the Security Council over the decision, and accused it of becoming "a suppressive tool in the hands of world powers", and said, "This marks the end of the Security Council."
The Iranian president called the fourth round of sanctions on his country "worthless" and said, "These decisions are like a used piece of paper that should be thrown to the garbage."
Resolution 1929 bans Iran from investing in nuclear activity abroad, and forbids other countries from providing any military vehicles, missiles or aircraft to the Islamic Republic.
Restrictions were also put on Iranian banks, and the resolution instructs the international community to ensure that foreign citizens exercise vigilance when doing business with Iranian companies.
Following the UN resolution, the United States and European Union also tightened their sanctions on Iran.
Europe is targeting the oil and gas sectors, as well as Iran's banking system, its transportation industry and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The US's extended sanctions included blacklisting a state-controlled bank, companies that are fronts for the state shipping line and more members of the Revolutionary Guard Corps.
