Iran has banned activities of the US-based CNN TV channel for its misinterpretation of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's remarks, the official IRNA news agency reported on Monday.
 
Press cards of CNN reporters are being invalid and CNN reporters will not longer be granted press cards because they have violated professional ethics, a statement of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance was quoted as saying. However, the statement said any revision in the decision "depends on performance of CNN in future."

Ahmadinejad told a press conference on Saturday that the peaceful use of nuclear energy is a right which Iran can not be denied, but in CNN live coverage, his remarks were interpreted into that "the use of nuclear weapons is Iran's right." IRNA said in an earlier report that CNN had officially apologized for misquoting Ahmadinejad and made clarification for the mistake.

Tehran insists that the mistake be unforgivable because CNN chief correspondent to Tehran Christian Amanpour, who was present at the conference, was born in Iran and knows the Persian language well.

(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2006)