The UN nuclear agency has cut back almost half its technical aid projects in Iran to uphold UN sanctions imposed on Tehran over its disputed atomic energy programme.
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani is attending a security conference in Germany today, where UN officials hope talks with European policymakers will allow some breathing space in the atomic row with the West.
Organisers of the Munich Security Conference, bringing together some of the world's top politicians, earlier said Mr Larijani had cancelled due to illness but confirmed last night that he would attend.
The aid reduction, based on a review by International Atomic Energy Agency experts, will go for final approval to a March meeting of the IAEA's board of governors, where Western and developing states are split over how hard to crack down on Iran.
"This is a substantial cut in the technical aid programme for Iran," said a senior UN official. "It is a message of inducement to Iran to reconsider its course."
Iran was hit with sanctions over its failure to prove to the IAEA that experimental efforts to enrich uranium are geared solely to generating electricity as it maintains. The West suspects Iran wants to produce fuel suitable for atom bombs.
Of 55 IAEA technical aid projects in Iran, 10 were halted entirely and 12 restricted as they could violate the December 23 Security Council sanctions resolution against Tehran. Forty of the 55 projects are run in neighbouring states as well.