Pompeo slams Tehran´s 'intimidation' of IAEA inspector as 'outrageous'

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday slammed Tehran´s treatment of an inspector with the UN´s nuclear watchdog last week as "an outrageous and unwarranted act of intimidation."

The top US diplomat said Iran "detained" the inspector, who the International Atomic Energy Agency has said had been briefly prevented from leaving Iran.

Iran said Thursday it had cancelled the inspector´s accreditation after she triggered an alarm last week at the entrance to the Natanz uranium enrichment plant.

"The United States fully supports the IAEA´s monitoring and verification activities in Iran, and we are alarmed at Iran´s lack of adequate cooperation," Pompeo said in a statement.

"IAEA inspectors must be allowed to conduct their critical work unimpeded. We call on Iran to immediately resolve all open issues with the IAEA and to afford Agency inspectors the privileges and immunities to which they are entitled."