VIENNA, March 8: The UN atomic watchdog on Thursday unanimously approved a cut of almost half its aid programmes to Iran as part of UN sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme, an IAEA spokesman said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board of governors formalised cuts in technical aid that were started after a UN Security Council resolution adopted on Dec 23.

The Security Council resolution had imposed sanctions on Iran for continuing to enrich uranium and called for cuts in IAEA aid to Iran, which the United States accuses of seeking nuclear weapons.

Iranian ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh bitterly criticised the cuts in comments to the board, a diplomat said.

Soltanieh said Iran rejects the Security Council's interference in IAEA technical affairs. Out of 55 national and regional projects that the IAEA has with Iran, 22, or 40 per cent, have been either totally or partially frozen.—AFP