Iran accuses US of giving IAEA forged documents

Iran accused the United States on Saturday of providing forged intelligence to the United Nations nuclear watchdog as an annual Shiite ceremony was cancelled because Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the Islamic Republic's founder and in charge of the shrine, was "ideologically closer" to the opposition.

State news agency IRNA quoted a top Iranian official as saying Washington provided forged intelligence to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which claimed Tehran had studied ways to make atomic bomb.

Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's envoy to the IAEA, has sent a letter to IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei saying the agency had been given documents that lacked credibility.

"The government of the United States has not given original documents to the agency because it does not actually have any credible documents and all those documents are forged," Soltanieh said in the letter quoted by IRNA from Vienna.

"Considering that there are no original documents on these alleged studies, there is no credible evidence of link between such forged claims and Iran ... This issue should be closed."

Considering that there are no original documents on these alleged studies, there is no credible evidence of link between such forged claims and Iran ... This issue should be closed

Iran IAEA envoy

Chavez in Iran

In related news, President Hugo Chavez, who arrived in Tehran on Friday, said in remarks rebroadcast on Venezuelan television that Iran will "not back down" in its quest for peaceful nuclear energy.

Chavez, Ahmadinejad's main ally in Latin America, arrived in Iran after visiting Syria, Libya and Algeria. He is later scheduled to go to Belarus, Russia, Turkmenistan and Spain.

"We are certain that Iran, as it has shown, will not back down in its effort to obtain what is a sovereign right of the people: to have all the equipment and structures to use atomic energy for peaceful purposes," Chavez said in Tehran.

"There is not a single proof that Iran is building ... a nuclear bomb," Chavez said. "Soon they will accuse us of also building an atomic bomb" in Venezuela, Chavez added.

Venezuela is working up a preliminary plan for the construction of a "nuclear village" with Iranian assistance in Venezuela, "so that the Venezuelan people can count in the future with this marvelous resource for peaceful uses," Chavez said.

The two leaders also vowed to back revolutionary nations and form anti-imperialist fronts, IRNA said.

"Helping the oppressed and revolutionary nations and expanding anti-imperialist fronts are the main missions of Iran and Venezuela," Ahmadinejad said after meeting Chavez.

The regular visitor to the Islamic republic also said Tehran and Caracas "should help revolutionary nations by strengthening ties between the two nations."

We are certain that Iran, as it has shown, will not back down in its effort to obtain what is a sovereign right of the people: to have all the equipment and structures to use atomic energy for peaceful purposes

President Chavez

Ceremony cancellation

Meanwhile, the cancellation of next week's ceremony may reflect authorities' concern it could have become the scene of renewed opposition protests against hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his re-election.

The Mardomsalari newspaper cited "pressure" on the family of late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to call off the speeches traditionally held at his shrine near Tehran to mark the seventh century death of Imam Ali, Shiite Islam's most revered figure after the Prophet Muhammad.

"This is the first year in which the mourning is not held at the Imam's (Khomeini's) shrine," Mardomsalari said. "The official communiqué says the Imam's shrine is unable to hold the mourning period in view of the problems it is facing."

The newspaper gave no further explanation for the unprecedented move to cancel the mourning ceremony, which was to have been held over three nights between Sept 9-11.

Reformist former President Mohammad Khatami normally speaks on one of the nights at Khomeini's shrine. Several of Khatami's close allies have been detained since the June presidential poll, which moderates say was rigged in favor of Ahmadinejad.

Other newspapers also carried similar reports, which did not say whether Khatami might appear at any of the many other such events held at the same time in mainly Shiite Iran.

Mardomsalari said Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the Islamic Republic's founder and in charge of the shrine, was "ideologically closer" to Khatami and Mousavi and that there were indications of differences of opinion with the government.

This is the first year in which the mourning is not held at the Imam's shrine. The official communique says the Imam's shrine is unable to hold the mourning period in view of the problems it is facing

Iran newspaper