Iran dismisses atomic bomb development report

IAEA

Iran dismissed as "politically motivated" a report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog Tuesday in which Tehran was accused for the first time of working on developing an atomic bomb design, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

"The report of the International Atomic Energy Agency is unbalanced, unprofessional and politically motivated," Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's envoy to the IAEA, was quoted as saying.

Earlier, the IAEA said the data "indicates that Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device."

Soltanieh said the IAEA report "did not contain any new issue." "Despite Iran's readiness for negotiations, the IAEA published the report ... which will harm its reputation," the Iranian envoy said.