Iran accuses Siemens of nuclear sabotage

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran is accusing the German technology company Siemens of implanting tiny explosives in equipment the Islamic Republic purchased for its nuclear program.

A prominent Iranian lawmaker says the booby-trapped equipment was meant to derail Iran's uranium enrichment efforts, but security experts discovered the explosives and removed them.

Siemens denies the charge and says its nuclear division has had no business with Iran since the 1979 revolution.

Any sale of nuclear equipment to Iran is banned under U.N. sanctions, raising the possibility that if it indeed has some, it may have been acquired through third parties.

Iran claims it has been the target of a concerted campaign by Israel, the U.S. and their allies to undermine its nuclear efforts through covert operations.

Five nuclear scientists and researchers have been killed in Iran since 2010. Tehran blames the deaths on Israel's Mossad spy agency as well as the CIA and Britain's MI-6. Washington and London have denied any roles. Israel has not commented.