Iran Denies Nuclear Espionage Arrests

The hard-line Ya-Lesarat weekly said recently that Iran's security agents had arrested two atomic experts for transferring classified information. It did not say who received the data.

"I strongly deny it. Nobody has been arrested for transferring classified information," Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting.

Iran insists its nuclear ambitions are limited to generating electricity while Washington accuses it of pursuing a covert program to build atomic arms.

International concern about Iran's nuclear program intensified in 2002 when an exiled opposition group said Iran was hiding a massive underground uranium enrichment plant at Natanz and a heavy-water production plant at Arak.

Hoping to allay concerns about its nuclear program, Iran has signed up to snap U.N. inspections of its nuclear facilities and suspended the assembly of uranium enrichment components.

Enriched uranium can be used to make fuel for power plants or to make bomb-grade material.