TEHERAN - Iran has barred two UN nuclear inspectors from entering the country, a senior official said on Monday, in a further escalation of an international dispute over Teheran's nuclear ambitions.

The United Nations Security Council on June 9 imposed a fourth round of sanctions on the major oil producer because of nuclear activity the West suspects is aimed at making bombs. Teheran denies the charge.

The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, said the two inspectors were declared persona non grata for filing an "untruthful" report by the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about the country's nuclear work.