Tehran, 12 October (AKI) - Iran said on Monday it would cease all scientific and cultural cooperation with Britain if it fails to loan the Achaemenid Cyrus Cylinder, known as the earliest charter of human rights.

"According to a deal between Iran's National Museum and the British Museum, the ancient clay cylinder was scheduled to be lent to Iran in September but the director of the British Museum (Neil MacGregor) refused to do so, citing Iran's post-election political state," said deputy president in charge of Iran's cultural heritage Hamid Baqaie, quoted by official Iranian media.

"This is just an excuse and they want to postpone meeting their commitment," he added.

"If they fail to loan the Cyrus cylinder to Iran in two months, we will cease all our joint archeological cooperation and cultural heritage exhibitions ... in Britain," he further explained.

The 6th century B.C. cylinder inscribed in cuneiform was found in 1879 by Assyro-British archaeologist Hormuzd Rassam.

The document was issued in the form of a clay cilinder by Cyrus the Great, an important figure in ancient Persian history.