They did not give details of the letter but said its subject matter was the same as comments made by Iranian representative Cyrus Nasseri at a meeting in Vienna this week of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) 35-nation board of governors.

One diplomat said the letter was sent shortly after Nasseri spoke to the board on Tuesday.

"Confidentiality of information has, despite our repeated requests and all efforts of the (IAEA) Director General, almost never been maintained," Nasseri told the board, according to a text of his comments released to the press.

"Concerns on this issue are more intense in view of potential threats of military strikes against safeguarded and other facilities visited by the agency in Iran," Nasseri said, in an apparent reference to the United States.

Iran has refused to let IAEA inspectors follow up on a first visit to the Parchin military facility, where Washington charges Tehran is simulating testing of atomic weapons, the IAEA had said Tuesday.

Nasseri told reporters that when such sensitive areas are visited "information becomes available to the agency that can also be of high value to others, including those who may not have the best of intentions," an apparent reference to the United States, which charges that Iran is secretly developing nuclear weapons and has not ruled out an attack on the Islamic Republic.

Nasseri said such information "almost immediately appears in the media."

"The notions of a threat of attacks against Iran's safeguarded and other facilities by a major nuclear weapons state are still there," Nasseri said.

Given this, "we need to make sure the information provided to the agency remains fully intact and does not disseminate and spread around," Nasseri said.

He also said reported eavesdropping by the United States on IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei left Iran wondering "how many outsiders are continuously monitoring discussion taking place within the agency."

All rights reserved. © 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.