Iran rails at Austria over ‘fake’ intel report saying Tehran is seeking nuclear bomb

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran summons Austria’s charge d’affaires after it branded as “fake” an Austrian intelligence report that said Tehran is seeking to acquire atomic weapons.

The spat comes even as Tehran pursues delicate negotiations with the United States on its nuclear program.

In its annual report on global threats, Austria’s domestic intelligence service (DSN) said Monday that Iran’s “nuclear weapons development program is well advanced.”

The United States, Israel and other Western countries have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking to acquire a nuclear weapon.

Iran has categorically denied the claims, instead arguing that it is pursuing a nuclear program for civilian purposes alone.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), however, Iran is the only country in the world that enriches uranium up to 60 percent.

That rate is still below the 90 percent threshold required for a nuclear weapon, but far above the 3.67 percent limit set under a 2015 agreement with world powers.

“All efforts to prevent Iran’s armament through sanctions and agreements have so far proved ineffective,” the Austrian report says.

Today, Iran’s foreign ministry condemns “the fake information” disseminated in the report and demands an explanation from Austria’s government.

It summoned Austria’s charge d’affaires in Tehran Michaela Pacher to “convey Iran’s strong protest,” the official IRNA news agency reports.

It says that during the meeting, the ministry “emphasized the complete contradiction of the Austrian report with numerous IAEA reports.”

The IAEA, whose headquarters are in the Austrian capital, will in the coming days publish its own review of Iran’s nuclear activities.