Iran escalates IAEA feud after 'slanderous' espionage assertion
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Iran is escalating its fight with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by accusing its inspectors of slander and presenting sloppy evidence, according to a legal brief circulated among diplomats days before a key meeting in Vienna.The note shows tension is rising between Tehran and IAEA ahead of a gathering on June 9 when Western nations could refer Iran to the UN Security Council for failing to comply with its international nuclear-safeguards obligations.The spat comes as talks between Iran and the US, aimed at resolving a standoff over Tehran's nuclear program, appear to have stumbled over a major disagreement about the Islamic Republic's right to enrich uranium. In its first detailed analysis of a May 31 IAEA inspections report, Iran accused Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of misrepresenting Iranian activities with false and recycled information.
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