Iran has barred two United Nations nuclear inspectors from entering the Islamic Republic, a senior official was quoted as saying on Monday, in a further escalation of an international dispute over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
The UN Security Council on June 9 imposed a fourth round of 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 Organisation, Ali Akbar Salehi, said the two inspectors were declared persona non-grata for filing an “untruthful” report by 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 or give details over what elements of the report he did not believe were accurate, adding 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 had 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 late May, the IAEA said the country was preparing extra equipment to enrich uranium to higher levels and also continued to stockpile nuclear material.
Enriched uranium can provide fuel for nuclear power plants, or material for bombs if refined much further.
The nine-page report showed Iran pushing ahead with higher-level enrichment and failing to answer the agency’s questions about possible military dimensions to its nuclear work and address concerns about possible undisclosed activities.
Washington, which was leading the push to impose new UN sanctions, at the time said the IAEA report underscored Iran’s refusal to comply with the international requirements. — Reuters