Iran's ultra-conservative weekly "9-Day" was banned on Monday for criticising the government over its negotiations with world powers on the country's controversial nuclear programme, the ISNA news agency reported.
The state body charged with monitoring the media ruled that the paper had published articles "insulting towards the Imam (Islamic republic founder Ayatollah Ruhollah) Khomeini and against the regime's nuclear policy", the agency said.
"Each step (Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad) Zarif took destroyed 100 kilos of reserves of enriched uranium," the weekly wrote.
ISNA said the comment came after Zarif and his US counterpart Secretary of State John Kerry took a walk in the lakeside Swiss city of Geneva on the sidelines of nuclear talks there last month.
The hardline weekly directed by ultra-conservative parliamentarian Hamid Ressaie is a constant critic of the negotiations aimed at curbing Iran's programme of uranium enrichment in exchange for lifting international sanctions.
It says that the government made too many concessions in the talks with world powers by signing an interim accord in November 2013.
Under the initial deal, Tehran froze some of its nuclear activity for a partial lifting of sanctions.
Iran and the P5+1 group (the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) are trying to hammer out a deal that would allow Iran to carry out civilian and exclusively peaceful nuclear activity, with the subsequent lifting of sanctions.
Two deadlines for a permanent agreement have already been missed since the 2013 interim deal.
Negotiators are now aiming for the political outline of a deal by March 31, with the cut-off point for the technical details of a comprehensive accord by June 30.
Western powers accuse Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon — a charge Tehran has consistently denied.
China opposes extending Iran nuclear deadline: minister
Tehran (AFP) Feb 15, 2015 –
China is against another extension of the deadline for Iran to reach a deal with world powers in talks on its nuclear programme, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Tehran Sunday.
"They have been extended twice, we hope that they will not be for a third time," Wang said at a joint news conference with Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Wang said the talks between Iran and the P5+1 powers (the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) were a "historic opportunity" to resolve the longstanding dispute over Tehran's nuclear efforts.
"The negotiations have seen positive progress," he said, but "they have become more difficult and complicated" as they near conclusion.
Two deadlines for a permanent agreement on Iran's nuclear programme have been missed since an interim deal was reached in November 2013.
Negotiators are now working toward reaching the political outline of a deal by March 31, with the cut-off point for the technical details of a comprehensive accord by June 30.
Western powers accuse Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon — a charge Tehran denies.
Disagreements in the talks centre on the extent of nuclear activities Iran will be allowed to continue and the timetable for the lifting of sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear efforts.
Zarif also said "the opportunity must be seized" for a deal and said Iran was ready "to show flexibility to reassure the P5+1 group".
