Iran slams ejection from Malaysian arms fair

Iran on Wednesday expressed regret it had been thrown out of an international arms fair last week, even after removing items deemed to break United Nations resolutions.

Iran's display at the fair in Kuala Lumpur was shut down when Malaysian deputy premier Najib Razak said that the host nation would not allow "lethal and offensive equipment in violation of the U.N. resolutions" to be put on show.

On Wednesday Iran complained that organizers of the Defense Services Asia exhibition had refused to let its display re-open despite the controversial items being removed.

"After an objection raised by the exhibition organizer, the Iranian delegation decided to fulfill the Malaysian demands," the Iranian embassy in Kuala Lumpur said in a statement.

"But regretfully... the organizer insisted on the closure of the Iranian stands as the only solution."

The statement added that the contentious missiles and missile systems were in fact scale models "that could only be used for presentation."

It said Iran regarded the U.N. security council resolutions on its "peaceful nuclear activities as unjust and illegitimate."

Malaysian officials closed the Iranian stand on the second day of the four-day show.

"Unfortunately... they displayed equipment that clearly contravenes the U.N. resolution such as missiles and missile systems," Najib, who is also defense minister, told reporters last week.

Last year, the Security Council imposed a series of sanctions against Iran to punish Tehran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, which many fear Iran could use to make nuclear weapons.