Iran escalates IAEA feud after 'slanderous' espionage assertion

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.