Iran says it has the right to bar UN inspectors

Iran's nuclear chief says Tehran has the right to bar some UN inspectors from monitoring its disputed nuclear program. The late Monday comments by Ali Akbar Salehi are in response to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency expressing alarm about Iran's decision to bar some of its inspectors.

The report followed Iran's recent decision to strip two inspectors of the right to monitor its nuclear activities after they reported what they said were undeclared nuclear experiments. The semiofficial Isna news agency quotes Salehi as saying Iran asked the agency to replace the two. (AP)