By ASSOCIATED PRESS
The West's publication of the Prophet Muhammad cartoons was an Israeli conspiracy motivated by anger over Hamas's win in the Palestinian elections, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Tuesday.
Speaking to Iranian air force personnel, Khamenei also praised the government's sharply curbing the access of UN inspectors to Iran's nuclear facilities in response to the decision to report the country to the UN Security Council.
The restricted access "corresponds to the Iranian people's dignity and honor," Khamenei said.
He also criticized the Saturday decision of the International Atomic Energy Agency to report Iran's nuclear activities to the Security Council, saying the move "discredited" the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
"Unfortunately, international bodies have lost their identity under the influence of the arrogant powers," he said, referring to the United States and European Union.