Iran's former nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani joined the race to succeed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday, accusing the incumbent of needlessly incurring crippling economic sanctions. Rowhani, 64, who headed the relatively moderate nuclear negotiating team that served under reformist president Mohammad Khatami before Ahmadinejad took power in 2005, joins a field of more than a dozen hopefuls for the June election. Ahmadinejad is barred by the constitution from standing for a third consecutive four-year term.

By Marcus George DUBAI (Reuters) - A former Iranian nuclear negotiator announced on Thursday he would run for president, the most moderate contender so far to bid to succeed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a June election dominated by conservatives. Hassan Rowhani, 64, was head of the powerful Supreme National Security Council under presidents Ali Akbar Rafsanjani, considered a master of realpolitik rather than an ideologue, and Mohammad Khatami, who pushed for wide-ranging social and political reforms.

Iran has told the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency that an earthquake that struck close to the country's only nuclear plant on Tuesday did not damage the facility, the IAEA said.The Vienna-based UN body said the quake - which Iranian media said killed 30 people as it devastated small villages - hit about 91 km (56 miles) from the Bushehr nuclear power plant."Iran has informed (the IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre) of the event, reporting that there has been no damage to the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant and no radioactive release from the installation," the UN agency

VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has told the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency that an earthquake that struck close to the country's only nuclear plant on Tuesday did not damage the facility, the IAEA said. The Vienna-based U.N. body said the quake - which Iranian media said killed 30 people as it devastated small villages - hit about 91 km (56 miles) from the Bushehr nuclear power plant.