Iranian, IAEA officials to meet

TEHRAN, April 23 (UPI) -- Iran's foreign minister will meet with the U.N. nuclear watchdog group in Vienna as an Iranian leader said the republic is a pioneer in nuclear disarmament.

The ministry said Manouchehr Mottaki will meet Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency Sunday, the government-backed IRNA reported.

In Tehran, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said during Friday prayers the Tehran Disarmament Conference last week struck a blow against countries accusing Iran of producing nuclear arms.

Jannati said the conference was so successful that participants called for another one.

"Even some labeled (the) Tehran conference as a superb innovation," he said.

Jannati also touched on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's message to during the meeting that the United States was only nuclear "criminal" on Earth, the state-sanctioned news agency said.

"That's an undeniable reality because no one, except the United States, has in history of nuclear arms production dared to use the weapons, while it now stands in the claimant position," Jannati said.

The United States and other Western countries have said Iran is seeking capability to develop nuclear weapons, which Iran denies.

Jannati also said countries shouldn't threaten the Islamic Republic and "admit that Iran has not produced nuclear weapons and uses nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes."