Tehran, Iran ? Iran will scale back its cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog in response to the agency’s Oct. 31 deadline for Tehran to prove its atomic programs are peaceful, Iran’s representative to the agency said Monday.

Ali Akbar Salehi said on state television that Iran had been allowing the International Atomic Energy Agency more oversight than required under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty “to show our good will and transparency. On the strict orders of President Mohammad Khatami we allowed IAEA inspectors to take environmental samples and visit non-nuclear sites.

“This has been beyond our obligations, but from now on we will act according to the current regulations,” Salehi said.

The United States has accused Iran of running a clandestine nuclear weapons program and wants the IAEA to declare Tehran in violation of the treaty.

A recent IAEA report to its board noted that traces of highly enriched, weapons-grade uranium were found at an Iranian nuclear facility, and said tests run by Iran made little sense unless the country was pursuing nuclear weaponry.

Tehran insists its nuclear programs are designed to generate electricity and that its equipment was “contaminated” with enriched uranium by a previous owner.

The IAEA has pressed Iran to detail its nuclear program and sign an additional protocol letting agency inspectors conduct in-depth checks of nuclear facilities.

Iran has said repeatedly it would agree to unfettered inspections if it is granted access to advanced nuclear technology as provided for under the nonproliferation treaty. Tehran says Washington is keeping Iran from getting that technology.

The IAEA’s board of governors set the deadline Sept. 12. The deadline was agreed to on the basis of IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei’s report.

On Monday, Salehi criticized the decision to set a deadline but did not say whether Iran would try to meet it.

“Many members of IAEA were surprised that despite Iran’s very good cooperation with the agency, some countries were pushing for a deadline,” he said. “Irrespective of whether we oppose or agree to the deadline, setting a deadline from the logical point of view is unacceptable. Mr. ElBaradei was also opposed to the deadline.”