Iran Postpones Visit By UN Nuclear Inspectors

Vienna, 12 March 2004 (RFE/RL) -- Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Pirooz Hosseini, today said the government had asked to postpone the visit of UN nuclear inspectors because of "the approaching Iranian New Year."

No new date was set for the inspectors' visit. The IAEA, the UN's nuclear watchdog, had no comment.

The postponement came as the IAEA board members continued discussing in Vienna ways to censure Iran for its failure to fully expose its nuclear activities.

Last month, the IAEA accused Iran of hiding evidence of nuclear experiments and noted discovery at Iran's nuclear facilities of a system that could be used to produce weapons.