Iran says UK backs group planning terrorist acts

IRAN: Iran accused Britain and other Western nations including France and Sweden Wednesday of supporting an exiled group that the Islamic state says planned terrorist acts in the country, official media reported.

"The Foreign Ministry summoned the British ambassador to express its harsh criticism over backing of his country and some other Western states of the group that wanted to carry out terrorist acts in the country," IRNA news agency said.

Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi also named two other European Union nations. "There were some Western countries involved, including Britain, Sweden and France," he told Iran's Arabic language TV station Al-Alam. In London, a Foreign Office spokeswoman dismissed the accusations.

"We made clear we condemn all terrorism everywhere," she said.

"The government firmly rejects any allegation of British involvement in any such activity."

A Swedish foreign ministry spokesman said the matter was being looked into and he had no further comment at this stage.

Iran is at odds with the West over its nuclear programme, which the United States and its European allies say is a cover to build atomic weapons.

EU members have agreed to push ahead with plans to move beyond the sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council last week over the nuclear programme, with extra measures including steps to curb investment in Iran's energy sector.

Tehran insists the programme is peaceful.

Iran also said on Tuesday it had arrested members of an exiled opposition group who planned to carry out "terrorist activities" in Tehran on the first anniversary of the country's disputed presidential election on June 12.

Tehran, Thursday, Reuters