VIENNA, Jan 25: The UN watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency has asked Iran to reverse its ban on 38 IAEA inspectors from working in the country, a spokeswoman said on Thursday.

The IAEA “requested Iranian authorities to reconsider their decision,” spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said.

Ms Fleming said the IAEA sent the letter on Wednesday to Tehran, two days after an announcement in Iran that the Islamic Republic was blocking 38 IAEA inspectors from entering the country.

Alaeddin Borujerdi, the head of parliament's national security commission, told ISNA news agency on Monday that “the committee (in charge of implementing parliamentary legislation) decided not to allow 38 inspectors to enter Iran and this restriction has been officially announced to the IAEA.”

In December 2006, the Iranian parliament had adopted a bill requiring the government to revise its cooperation with the IAEA after the UN Security Council passed a resolution to impose sanctions on Iran for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment work.—AFP