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Last Updated: Tuesday, 31 January 2006, 16:10 GMT
Iran row hits Belgian spy chief
Iranian technicians. File photo
Iran is under huge pressure to halt its nuclear research
The head of Belgium's state security service has resigned amid allegations that his department failed to disclose nuclear technology transfers to Iran.

Koen Dassen stepped down after it emerged that warnings from the CIA about such transfers had gone unheeded.

A Belgian firm, Epsi, allegedly sold Iran an isostatic press, which can strengthen nuclear weapons components.

An international embargo bans nuclear technology transfers to Iran, which denies plans to build an atomic bomb.

A Belgian official report said the security service had "assuredly failed in its mission to provide information to the authorities and proved itself inefficient", the French news agency AFP reported.

It also said the service "had not told the entire truth in the affair".

Epsi insisted that the type of technology it exported to Iran in November 2004 could not be used in nuclear weapons production.

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