"Political pressure by the U.S. and a number of European countries on Mr. ElBaradei following his comments on legal and technical aspects [of Iran's nuclear program] is an illogical move, which is at odds with the IAEA's independent status, further weakening the positions of the agency and its director general," the ministry said in a press release.
In a recent interview, ElBaradei did not rule out the possibility of allowing Iran to conduct some uranium enrichment operations on its soil.
The U.S. said it intends to file a formal complaint against the director's actions, since they purportedly erode the UN Security Council's efforts to force Tehran to halt uranium enrichment activities. Washington's initiative has been endorsed by France, among other countries.
Iran denied earlier Monday Western media reports that it has asked France to mediate Iran's nuclear problem.
Tehran said last Friday it is ready to negotiate on its nuclear program if the West respects and abides by international law.
Since Iran resumed uranium enrichment in January 2006, the country has been the focus of international concerns as some Western countries, particularly the U.S., suspect Tehran is pursuing a covert weapons program. But Tehran has consistently claimed it needs nuclear power for civilian power generation and is fully entitled to its own nuclear program.
