Iran says won't take part in ME nuke conference

Iran will not take part in rare IAEA-hosted talks next week for countries in the Middle East to discuss efforts to free the world of nuclear weapons, a senior Iranian official said on Friday, in a further sign of worsening ties between the UN atomic agency and Iran.

Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), made the statement after the 35-nation board of the IAEA adopted a resolution rebuking Tehran over its nuclear program. Iran denies it is seeking a nuclear bomb. (Reuters)