TEHRAN, January 16 (RIA Novosti) - Leading U.S. news channel CNN was forced to stop work in Iran Monday, after the countries authorities accused the company of distorting recent statements by its president.
In a statement, the Iranian Ministry of Islamic Culture and Guidance said CNN had violated professional ethics and distorted recent statements made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. CNN reporters would no longer be admitted to the country, it said.
On January 14, 2006, CNN quoted Ahmadinejad as saying that Iran had the right to create nuclear weapons. The president had however been talking about Iran's right to develop nuclear energy. CNN later apologized for the error, Iranian media said.
Iran's nuclear plans have become the subject of increasing concern among other nations, since it said last week that it would restart a nuclear research program that originally suspended more than two years ago.
Some countries, notably the U.S. and Israel, have expressed fears that Tehran could use the research to build nuclear weapons.
Iran has consistently said that it wants to acquire the technology only for peaceful purposes, but calls have mounted for the UN to impose sanctions against the country for abandoning its nuclear research moratorium.
