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Iran warns IAEA on nuclear probe

VIENNA, JUNE 16. Iran served notice today it would reject any harsh rebuke for blocking a U.N. probe of its suspect nuclear activities even as the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said agreement was near on the language of such a reprimand. The Iranian warning was sounded by the President, Mohammad Khatami, in Teheran.

``If the draft resolution proposed by the European countries is approved by the IAEA, Iran will reject it,'' Mr. Khatami said. ``If Europe has no commitment towards Iran, then Iran will not have a commitment toward Europe.'' Iran also has rejected previous IAEA resolutions critical of its spotty record in cooperating with the agency's nuclear probe but — except for delaying inspections for several weeks this spring — it has continued to work with the IAEA.

In Vienna, the Iranian chief delegate, Hossain Mousavian, said his country had ``no option'' but to continue working with the agency, despite the negative tone of the draft resolution. But he suggested Iran could terminate talks with France, Germany and Britain — the authors of the draft — on future sales of nuclear technology in retaliation for the tone of the document, which he called ``counterproductive for the continuation of cooperation.''

The three European powers have held out the prospect of such sales if Iran agrees to scrap its uranium enrichment program. — AP

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