Iran wants 'atomic criminal' US suspended from IAEA

Updated at: 1300 PST, Saturday, April 17, 2010
TEHRAN: Iran slammed "atomic criminal" the United States on Saturday and called for its suspension from the UN nuclear body, urging changes at the UN Security Council and in the Non-proliferation Treaty.

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an opening message to a two-day nuclear disarmament conference hosted by Tehran, said the use of nuclear weapons was "haram", meaning religiously prohibited, and branded Washington as the world's "only atomic criminal."

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad went called for Washington's suspension from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) along with all other nations who possess nuclear arms.

"Only the US government has committed an atomic crime," said a message read out from the all-powerful Khamenei, who formulates Tehran's foreign policy, including its nuclear strategy.

"The world's only atomic criminal lies and presents itself as being against nuclear weapons proliferation, while it has not taken any serious measures in this regard," he said.