Ahmadinejad barred from Games visit

Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claims he has been blocked by the UK authorities from attending the Olympic Games in London.

Mr Ahmadinejad told Iran’s official news agency IRNA he would like to be “beside Iranian athletes” at the Games, but that Britain had “a problem” with him being there.

The Foreign Office yesterday refused to confirm or deny his claim, saying only: “We don’t comment on individual cases.”

The row comes ahead of talks in Baghdad next week over Iran’s nuclear programme.