Iran Threatens To Review Cooperation With IAEA

"The posture of certain countries (on the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency) is irresponsible and arrogant," Kharazi said in a statement published by state news agency IRNA.

"Unfortunately, some are trying openly and willfully to destroy the process of cooperation between Iran and the agency and seeking to cut the agency out of the process.

"If the extremists take control of the matter and do not recognize our legitimate rights to have peaceful nuclear activities, we will then be obliged to review the situation and the current level of cooperation with the agency," he added.

Singling out Canada for its hard line, Kharazi said: "In a speech to the board of governors, the Canadian representative asked that the issue of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear activities be immediately sent to the Security Council, thus wanting to ignore the role of the agency."

He expressed hope the IAEA would not yield to "political pressure" and create problems for Iran in cooperating with the agency, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The Iranian foreign minister said his country has already "basically met the requirements of the additional protocol" by opening itself up to inspections."

The IAEA is set to consider at a meeting in Vienna Wednesday an October 31 deadline for Iran to prove it is not secretly trying to develop atomic weapons.

Washington accused Iran Tuesday, September 9, of being in breach of safeguards under the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty but supported a proposed "last chance" for Tehran to clear up questions about its atomic program.