Top Iranian official cancels meeting with IAEA chief

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A top Iranian official on Sunday abruptly canceled a meeting with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, dealing a blow to IAEA efforts to investigate alleged attempts by Teheran to make nuclear arms, an agency official said. The IAEA official, confirming Iranian media reports that the meeting was off, told The Associated Press that no reason had been given. But a senior diplomat had told the AP that IAEA head Mohamed El Baradei likely planned to use the meeting with Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, the head of Iran's nuclear program, to renew a request for more information on allegations Teheran had tried to make atomic arms. Both the official and the diplomat demanded anonymity because they were not authorized to comment by name on the Iranian nuclear issue.