Iran: IAEA report risks our scientists' lives
Iranian official Ali Asghar Soltanieh slams UN nuclear agency chief; says security leaks exposes his country's scientists, families to threat of assassination by Israel, US
A senior Iranian envoy is accusing the head of the UN nuclear body of security leaks that expose his country's scientists and their families to the threat of assassination by the US and Israel.
Ali Asghar Soltanieh says the leaks by International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano in a recent report have made Iranian scientists "the targets for assassination by ... (the) Israeli regime and United State(s) of America intelligence services."
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The accusations reflect Iran's fury with Amano over the report to the IAEA board detailing Tehran's alleged secret research and development of nuclear weapons.
Soltanieh, Iran's chief IAEA delegate, shared his letter with reporters Friday.
He said Amano is to blame for any threat "against the lives of my fellow citizens."
Meanwhile, North Korea on Friday denied allegations that it has helped Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
North Korea's official media said that unspecified "dishonest forces" have spread rumors of a nuclear link between the two countries.
Some South Korean and Western media reported this month that Tehran received help from Pyongyang in nuclear arms development.
Seoul's Yonhap News Agency said earlier this week that North Korea has sent hundreds of nuclear experts to Iran. It cited an unnamed diplomatic source.
The North's official Korean Central News Agency said such allegations amount to "nonsense."
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