Iran says IAEA sending 'spies'

TEHRAN (AFP) - Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi accused the UN atomic watchdog on Saturday of including spies among the inspectors it sends to Iran to monitor the nations nuclear programme. The International Atomic Energy Agency has dispatched spies of foreign agencies among its inspectors and thus should be held accountable for this move, he was quoted by state-run televisions website as saying. Moslehi did not elaborate, except to say that international organisations that should prevent such acts are not fulfilling their duties. This is not the first time that Iranian officials have singled out nuclear inspectors. In late June, the Islamic republic barred two UN atomic watchdog inspectors from the country over a false nuclear report. And last month, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said world powers were against solving the controversy over Irans nuclear programme and accused the IAEA of giving information to Washington. This week Iran also launched a verbal attack on the United Nations, especially the Security Council, after two bombings on Monday in Tehran resulted in the death of one nuclear scientist and the wounding of another. One of the two victims was on the list published by the United Nations of nuclear officials subject to international sanctions, and Tehran has accused the international organisation of providing targets for Israeli and western intelligence agencies. Relations between Tehran and the Vienna-based UN watchdog have deteriorated since Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano took over as IAEA director general just over a year ago.

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